UW Design 2013

Arrived

People have better things to do with their time than trying to optimize getting from point A to point B. Although we already have the technological capabilities to solve this problem, transit options are often examined in isolation from context. This design seeks to change the landscape of disconnected information by smartly and dynamically integrating maps, calendar, contacts, and real time information to help people get where they want, when they want, the way they want.

Additional Contributors

Amy Brumet
Byung Cho
Nikki Lee
Katherine Root

The Ups & Downs of Pioneer Square

My thesis interest is in researching the complex historical, urban planning and social issues at work in Pioneer Square that have shaped its fortunes over time, ultimately forming it into what it is today (which, for many people, is an area for which they have poor regard). Through the lens of retailers past, present and future, I examine the cycles of Pioneer Square, what makes a neighborhood vibrant, and how Pioneer Square might change in the future. My main argument is that Pioneer Square has been shaped by cycles of boom and bust over time and is currently in the midst of urban revitalization… and not permanently in the “down” state that many would believe it to be.

Pivot: Empowering Trafficked Victims

Pivot provides rescue information to female human trafficking victims without detection by their captors. Ordinary-looking sanitary pads are distributed by activists and healthcare providers to suspected victims. Hidden inside each pad is an insert printed on water-soluble paper with rescue information and the national anti-human trafficking hotline number. Victims access the insert in the privacy of a restroom, detach the phone number (disguised as a fortune-cookie tab), and flush the rest of the insert in the toilet, allowing the victims to safely carry the necessary information with them until they are mentally and physically ready to seek help.