Evaluation of communIT, a large-scale, cyber-physical artifact supporting diverse subgroups building community

Abstract

Many subgroups remain marginalized from their larger communities. Technologies supporting community building have focused on apps, but many apps fall short of making subgroups such as the LGTBQ+, immigrant and black populations visible and heard. We report on design iterations and evaluations of communIT, a large-scale, cyber-physical platform for helping subgroups build community by making them visible and heard in public places. We conducted a design studio study ( N = 57), co-design activities with to-scale and full-scale prototypes ( N = 12 and 28), and an online study ( N = 197). We learned: preferences for communIT’s design; that communIT may be suitable and useful for diverse groups to engage, share, and interact; that communIT may make an impact on how the larger community perceives diverse groups; and that communIT may be helpful for groups to express their ideas, concerns, and aspirations to the larger community. Our research suggests the promise of large-scale, cyber-physical artifacts for building community.