Scoop

Abstract

The aim of this project was to create a concept for a suitable relax object for Dutch festivals that offered a unique experience and would provide a successful and profitable entry to the festival market for the new company EventBeds. To understand the context, Dutch festivals were analyzed, underlying user needs to relax were explored, the various influencing factors on a festival experience were studied and current relaxing objects were compared. Dutch festivals come in all sizes and flavours concerning programme, target group and location. However, there is a number of similarities: the biggest revenue at festivals comes from drink sales, especially alcoholic drinks. Therefore, a lot of these drink brands are represented at festivals. Next to bars, food stalls, toilets and other facilities are provided to let the visitor have a good festival experience. These are often placed in between the various music stages, to prevent the music, coming from these stages, from colliding. Dutch festival visitors mainly range from 18 to 25 years old. The use of alcohol and drugs, mainly cannabis and xtc, is highly accepted amongst the visitors. One motivation to go to festivals is restoring the balance between the fast, daily working life and peace of mind, between being serious and having fun. Another aspect is interest in novelties and curiosity; exploring new things that they do not know yet, or in another form. A third motivation is socialization; this can be both in an established social group of visitors, as well as with people from outside this group. A fourth motivation is event excitement: the buzz of all those people on one place, having a good time. Visitors of festivals call this shared happiness an important motivation. Next to all this, gregariousness is an important aspect: the feeling to be part of a group makes many people happy. So, if a large part of a group of friends decides to go to a certain event, the rest often follows. Friends that are not physically present at the festival are often updated through social websites like Facebook, as many of the visitors have a smartphone and use it to share experiences. A creative session with experienced and inexperienced festival visitors was held to establish the underlying user needs of festival visitors in order to truly relax outdoors. This was done through sensitizing booklets, guided fantasies, open discussions and brainstorms. The fact that the session was not focussing primarily on relaxing on festivals, but relaxing in general, led to a number of inspiring outcomes. First of all, the social aspect was affirmed as they stated that sharing a unique experience with loved ones makes it more intense and memorable. This experienced is intensified if people can let this experience sink in. Another outcome was that active relaxation and passive relaxation can enforce each other. However, the contrast between both should not be too much in order to not loose the ‘flow’ (of the thing they were doing before the break) when relaxing. A feeling of connection to nature, as well as a clean space around them can also raise the level of relaxation. The festival experience, as well as the possibilities of placing objects on festivals, is influenced by a large number of aspects. One of those is the Dutch weather, as it is very precarious: rain, sun and wind alternate quickly. Next to this, the safety regulations and wantonly behavior of festival visitors put a constraint on the possibilities of festival objects. Adding to this, since a festival is a one-time event, a festival object should be suitable to be rented out. The demands of sponsor brands are also taken into consideration, since this is the most likely way to make such an object profitable. Finally, An increasing amount of organizations have attention for the environment. Sustainability was therefore also of importance to this project. All these aspects lead to a large number of requirements. The benchmark of current relax objects showed that these objects do not comply with (most of) these requirements. Through ViP, a design statement and human-product interaction was established to create an inspiring design context for the project. This design statement shows what the future design should offer to the people of the domain (outdoor relaxation): By offering different experiences under different circumstances, I want festival visitors to indulge in their surroundings in a surprising and fascinating way, either alone or with others, which will intensify their festival experience by gratifying the senses. The intended human-product interaction is stated as Invited by Fascination. The corresponding product qualities are divided into product characteristics: overwhelming, cheeky, exciting, friendly and protective and the user-related qualities: open, safe, dynamic, unforced and diverse. The human-product interaction and qualities were used during the ideation phase. During the ideation phase, the weather elements were used as a unique input to the object. Various possibilites were explored through sketching and experiential prototypes in order to create fascinating elements. Next to this, inviting shapes were created. A derivation of these shapes was built in the faculty’s workshop and tested on the IO-Festival, during day and night. The outcomes on the aspects size, comfort, appearance, weather elements and ‘other’ were used to improve the concepts. After this, a shape was chosen based on the requirements, outcomes of the creative session, ViP and test results. A cocoon-shaped design was chosen. All pieces of the puzzle come together in the final design: Scoop. Its inviting shape attracts visitors and protects them from the weather elements. It uses these weather elements to provide many different experiences with the object. Next to this, it offers a choice to either be socially active on one side or to retreat for a while on the other side. By using Natural Fibre Composites for the biggest part of the object, it offers a fascinating and different appearance from various distances. This material and the shape give the object a feminine appearance, which is counterbalanced by the use of the masculine Legno-Legno material for the mattress, as well the big black bolts that hold it together. Various types of roofs offer unique experiences that either mimic the features of ice (R-Cast Ice), are made of NFCs or are easily brandable by banners. The last two options make the entry to the festival very feasible as the cost price is respectively €951,- (investment of €47,550,-) and €891,- (investment of €44,550). The Scoop complies with all influencing aspects of festivals as it is very weather resistant, can withstand a lot of wantonly behavior, complies with all safety requirements, is very suitable to be rented, uses sustainable and durable materials and offers diverse ways to be branded.