6 The Platform
In the translation of the Public Gratification Palace Framework into an implementable and sound platform, this chapter illustrates the methodology leading to the formulation of the Public Gratification Palace Platform. The main sections are elaborated as the following:
6.1 Personal Interviews as Qualitative Research Method
6.2 Online Questionnaire, Target Audience
6.3 Overview of Key Parameters of the Platform, Process Map
6.1 Personal Interviews as Research Method
It was important to find grounding and accountability in the interviewed stakeholding groups, as it anchors the Public Gratification Palace Framework to be as pragmatic and practical as possible. The intention of the Platform differs from the Framework, as such that the former is envisioned for future implementation, whereas the latter is orchestrated from literature review and theories.
During the transition of the Framework to the Platform, not all elements and objectives of the Framework (mentioned in Chapter 4) will be materialized. More precisely, I will not explicitly tackle (3) Prototyping and future interventions, as this objective proves to be too ambitious at this stage of the project and goes beyond my allocated time frame and resources. However, it is not to neglect the importance of this objective as lesser than the other ones, but it is to acknowledge my current capabilities and limitations.
(a) city government officials specialized in digitalization and citizen engagement;
(b) professionals holding expertise in design, planning, civic engagement and data;
(c) community oriented organisations and non-governmental placemaking agents representing local solidarities;
(d) local residents having varying degrees of interest in city dialogues.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
6.2 Online Questionnaire
and Target Audience
The survey was conducted in an online questionnaire format, in April 2021, in which over 50 respondents from Berlin and Montreal answered.
Target Audience:
> comfortable level of digital literacy (e.i. mobile device and applications usages)
> age groups : 18-24, 25-34, 35-44.
> different levels of civic engagement, different willingness to learn, to collaborate and to participate.
6.3 Overview of Key Parameters of the Platform and Process Map
Moving forward to the formulation of the Platform, the following key parameters are elaborated from the feedback received from the twelve (12) interviewees and the 50+ responses from the online questionnaire:
(1) Data Workflow from “Unstructured”
to “Structured” Data
(2) Definition of Participation
(3) Learning Curve for Engagement
(4) Aspirational and Operational Objectives for Gratification
(5) Front-end User Experience
(6) Target Audience
The following process map and functions overview are a consolidation of the six (6) key parameters. The generative and reproductive quality of the process map should be limited to the contexts where it is sourced from —the amalgam of Montreal and Berlin’s contexts. In that regard, I see pertinence in the application of the Platform in the contexts of Montreal and/or Berlin, although I acknowledge that it can be an open debate if the sum of the two contexts is pertinent to the individual context. With that in consideration, the process map will serve as a toolkit, and not as a prescriptive methodology, when it will be designed for early prototyping in the next chapter
