Research
Direct Observation
We began our research with observations of some of the existing fountains around Pittsburgh. Not only was this valuable in choosing a location, but also gave us some initial insight into how people currently interact with different types of fountains.
The fountain outside of the Carnegie Museum is an example of a location that did not prove to be ideal for our intentions. While it is decorative, it is placed off to the side and most people we observed passed by it with out giving it much attention.The fountain is also partially under the museum's overhanging roof; this, coupled with the fountain's pool of water, creates a great deal of noise that makes it difficult to hold conversations very close to the fountain. In addition, the pool of water deterred any kind of playful interaction.
Phipps Conservatory
Phipps Conservatory has an interactive fountain as part of one of its exhibits. The fountain is in the middle of a small pool, so it does not invite direct interaction, however there is a kiosk that allows visitors to control the lights and flow of water with a number of physical buttons. There is also a dial with two settings: program and run. If the user presses a sequence of buttons while the dial is set to “program”, then turns the dial to “run”, the fountain will play back whatever the user did. In our observations, however, few people utilized this feature. In most cases, if the dial was set to “run”, a user would try pressing the buttons, but leave when the fountain did not respond. In addition, kids had a great deal of fun seeing the fountain respond immediately to their actions, and payed no heed to their chaperone's instructions of the “program/run” process. The kids would crowd around the kiosk, which was build perfectly for their height, and the number of buttons allowed them all to play together. In another interesting observation, we noted that while adults also played with the fountain, they would quickly grow self-conscious and leave if other people were watching them.
SouthSide Works
The SouthSide Works plaza differs from these other sites in a number of ways. First, the fountain is in a very centralized location. It is in the middle of a large shopping area which includes the Cheesecake Factory and a movie theater. This means people often congregate around the fountain while waiting for their dinner reservation or a movie, or to rest from shopping. In addition, local bands often play evening concerts here during the summer. Also, the fountain is built right into the sidewalk, allowing children to play directly in the fountain.
We ultimately chose the plaza as our location because we observed a number of community needs that our project could address. An interactive fountain would give people something to do while they are waiting for such things as the Cheesecake Factory or a movie, and could potentially encourage people to interact with each other as well. A kiosk would also give people a way to enjoy and have fun with the fountain without the risk of getting wet. In addition, the fountain could synch with music and be a resource for local bands to help them attract larger crowds and interact with their audience. In these ways, the SouthSide Work fountain could become more of a community builder, and become an exciting destination rather than just a waiting place.
