next generation

I know this still needs more work, but this is the newest model on paper.

discovery

Hamid immediately went for the single cup solution but found that the triple cup with the walls were best for storing $1 and $5 bills. He immediately began putting his money and bills in the model, and informed me that the three containers for holding different coins were unnecessary since he deals mostly with quarters. The shorter cup size made it easier to see the change and pick up change. He began to revert to his old ways of placing bills on the shelf since there was no more room on the model for dollar bills. So I know I had to change the design, but I left the model with him.

prototyping

Above are some prototypes I made to take to Hamid.

The solution criteria for the money storage problem are:
1) organize money (quarters, bills)
2) using existing framework to solve the problem (cup)
3) increase visibility and fluidity

a brooklyn user

Hamid sells hotdogs outside of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway stop. He is also from Bangladesh and wants to retire soon. His hotdog cart is very popular in the area. I have narrowed down the problem of street vending to money storage. Most vendors I have spoken to use a cup to hold their change and lay bills inside the shelf of the cabinet, which is unorganized and inefficient with low visibility. The user ends up searching for change and often running out of change during peak hours (2:00 - 4:00 PM).

communication

I found Mohammed Mamun outside the C station on Spring Street. I was really excited because his English is excellent, which made it easier to get pertinent information. He mentioned the following problems with street vending:
1) Stealing food and money from the cart (he hadn't experienced but heard of)
2) Police discrimination (not have the prestige of a store and being Muslim)

More than listening, I learned a lot from watching Mohammed:
3) Environment - A blue tarp was clipped to the umbrellas of his hot dog stand. It made a cozy alcove which protected him from car pollution, rain, and cold. It was great.
4) Personal Storage - A bag crammed with papers was kept in personal storage. I was surprised that he found anything in it.
5) Garbage -The garbage was a make-shift soda carton that was awkward. It was emptied at the end of the day.
6) Money - A cup was used for change and there was no clear system for collecting and storing money efficiently.

power wheels

I was in Soho on a Friday evening in March to try out a mexican, hipster street vendor based on a friend's recommendation. I never found the truck but happened to chance upon a street vendor trying to transport his cart at rush hour. Most street carts have power-driven motors. However, this guy gets caught in traffic and eventually moves onto the sidewalk, even though I learned from Alex that carts are not to be driven on the sidewalk. Difficult!

hot dog cart

After observing different types of vending carts, I decided to focus on hot dog stands. They are easily accessible in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The first person I talked to was Alex on W. 34th Street and 8th Avenue. We talked about his family and how long he has been in this business. Some interesting things I observed are:

1) Activities: wait for sale, talk to friends, break open sauerkraut container with tongs, accept money and give change, store money in cabinet with sliding door
2) Environment: busy NYC street, cold, windy (March 2008)
3) Interactions: group of spanish-speaking women asking for the nearest souvenir shop; giving change for $10.00; putting together a hotdog
4) Objects: cart, tongs, paper cup ($), slide cabinet door, money/change, motor gauge
5) User: Egyptian immigrant who has been in the business for 7 years