From the briefs on offer I chose to look at 'design against bike theft'....to be honest, I can't rememeber WHY I chose over the others but I found it interesting none the less.
The problem I had was finding a starting point as I was jumping from locks to bikes, parks to streets, services and initiatives to expensive equipment....I needed to narrow it down. So I set a scenario....families. Cycling can be viewed as an engaging and healthy activity which should be enjoyed by people of all ages and a family unit is a great hub to exemplify this. We learn to ride bikes as children through our parents and why should we give up on it as we grow?
There can be a stigma surrounding theft and security issues so I honed in something which could encourage families and groups of friends to use public areas knowing their bikes can be left unattended whilst safe from thieves.
One idea I tried out was a 'shelter' or 'dome' that could act as a community like hub for people to leave the bikes at parks and be something that can form part of the surrounding. The large single piece structure would be permanently 'planted' in place and a mesh coating on the outside can allow grass and plants to grow on it, allowing it to blend in with the park environment.
Instead, I went with a smaller scale and less intrusive design called 'family stands'. These were designed as friendly and inviting structures which could allow bikes of all sizes to be securely locked to them and also form a decorative feature in the park. They would be placed around trees reflecting on the idea of a 'family tree' being a unit of growth and learning.
