SERVICE DESIGN 2022
Summer of Trade — Twilight Picnic
Client: City of Melbourne
Role: Research, storyboard, animation
A back-of-house project for the City of Melbourne that supports small hospitality businesses during a heatwave when patrons are few and far between.
Problem
The Economy of Heat
Heatwaves pose threat to human life and impact economies. Small businesses are a vulnerable group which is a service provider and makes up a vital part of the city’s revenues. Being prepared can reduce heat-stress, but small business owners are overwhelmed by the complex registration process for trading permits while adapting their services in an unpredictable heatwave.
Solution
Through the pre-organized Twilight Picnic, a cooling night-time market, local small businesses are able to remain open while citizens can come and enjoy a cooling respite.
Desktop Research
Research shows the heatwave’s impact on small businesses in Melbourne, with data collected from the following sources: City of Melbourne, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Business Victoria, EY Sweeney Research Pty Ltd.
User Interviews
Face-to-face interviews with students and small business owners provide insights to create the service.
Resources Map
Identifies available resources and communication channels during a heatwave.
Ecosystem Map
Identifies the stakeholder relationships in local hospitality businesses during a heatwave. This step is to understand the service dynamics, detect gaps and opportunities.
User Persona
Field Study
Argyle Square is the chosen pilot location for Twilight Picnic. It is near to a lot of small hospitality businesses and low-income communities in between the laneways. The Cool Routes shows the coverage of trees and shelters in the area to ensure safety.
Service StoryBoard
1. Months before a heatwave, City of Melbourne helps small businesses register for the trading permits. Sends out an alert 7 days before the heatwave.
2. Meanwhile, small business owners prepare their services.
3. The City of Melbourne transports and unloads resources to the location one or two days in advance.
4. On the day, the staff help shop owners set up tables and seating from the small business shared resource inventory.
5. Set up individual stations for each participating business.
6. Event begins.
7. People arrive using free public transport.
8. People enjoy good food, drink, and use services in the cool misting system in shaded areas.
9. People enjoy the cool misting system in decorative arches. The event is promoted through broadcasts and social media.
10. Information boards provide education about heatwaves and their impacts on the environment, people, and the economy.
11. The City of Melbourne helps clean up and pack down post-event.
12. Twilight Picnic brings success to the government and shop owners. people enjoy the cooling experience and feel good about supporting the small businesses.
