Valentina Guadagno

talk2 bruno the bench

A talking bench to encourage citizens to engage in public participation with AI

This project, developed in collaboration with TU Delft’s Citizen Voice research lab, aimed to enhance public participation by utilizing AI to bridge the gap between citizens and key stakeholders such as urban planners, decision-makers, and researchers. The open-source tool we designed encourages seamless communication, shared learning, and collaborative scenario-building.

Our team focused on tackling common barriers to public participation, such as time constraints, lack of expertise, and perceived effort, with the goal of making participation accessible and easy to integrate into everyday life.

A talking bench to encourage citizens to engage in public participation with AI

The process

Talk2 was developed through a hands-on, "learning by doing" approach, following an iterative process of prototyping, user testing, and ongoing evaluation. Each cycle of this process helped refine the design, shaping the final concept step by step.

Over several weeks, our team explored various technologies and experimented with different interaction methods. This iterative approach not only enhanced the final design but also sharpened our focus on the key elements of Human-Technology interaction, with a strong emphasis on usability.

Why, what, how

Talk2 is an AI-based conversational tool designed to make civic participation more accessible in everyday urban life. Today, city-making is often limited to a small group of decision-makers, while many citizens feel excluded due to lack of time, interest, or perceived expertise. Talk2 addresses this gap by creating informal opportunities for people to share opinions, stories and ideas about their neighbourhood during their daily routines.

The project brings urban objects such as benches, trash bins or buildings to life through AI-powered conversations. By interacting with these objects, citizens reflect on the physical and social aspects of their environment, generating narratives and insights that can inform more inclusive urban planning.

For the prototype, we simulated the AI interaction using Voiceflow, designing a conversational experience triggered when people approached the object through a hidden microphone.

CCmeetsCC

The project was selected, together with the other course’s projects that had Citizen Voice as a client, to participate in the Creative Coding Meets Climate Change 2023 festival in Hamburg. The festival engaged with climate experts, artists and scientists to explore the pressing issues of our time: climate change and urban planning.

Talk2 participated with Bruno the Bench: the interactive prototype that we developed by bringing a bench to life.

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Dutch Design Week 2023

Talk2’s object Bruno the Bench was chosen to be featured in the DREAM.DISCOVER.DESIGN exhibition during Dutch Design Week 2023, alongside various projects designed at the Industrial Design Engineering Faculty of TU Delft. Each project revolves around societal themes like Sustainability, Health, and AI. The exhibition drew over 16,000 visitors spanning different age groups, from children to grandparents, sparking meaningful conversations about the future of sustainability, equality, mental health, and AI.

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Let's talk!

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