leesublog-blog

[leesublog-blog]

Open-entrances of Under/Over ground.

I had an unusual experience in London that I have ever experienced in my country, Republic of Korea. It happened when I went to the Lewisham station a few days ago. The way of an entrance of the station was designed was different from the other stations. Unlike the usual station where people had to get in through the card reader machine, there was an open-entrance so that they could get on to the train without paying if they intended. I was so surprised that even though I did not pay, I was able to get in and stand on a platform. I hovered around the station and was uncertain what to do. I was concerned that I had entered the station illegally as I had not paid. So, I went back to the entrance and tried to find a card reader machine. When I was lost like that, I saw three people who ran into the station. One of them ran to train straight away, and other two ran to the card reader machine which I could not find. The train left at the same time when I realised where the card reader machine was. After then, I paid and got on to the train. when I arrived at the destination, West India Quay, there was an open-entrance as well.  

This open-entrance station system of finding and paying by oneself could also be considered as a critical design as it makes people to think a problem and have a question. Raby said that the role of critical design is to “stimulate discussion amongst the public designer and industry”(Dunne & Raby, 2001, p.&58). Passing open-entrances could be a trigger act to think paying a fare to people. The act of finding a card reader for paying makes people feel they are paying intentionally. Moreover, it makes people think about using public transportation. It lets people become conscious of paying behaviour. If card reader machines are not at entrances, people need to find card reader machines to pay to go on the Tube. It might lead people to think about act of paying more. There is a similar example with this Idea, it is a non-written tax on receipt in Canada. Thus, people in Canada may think about the tax whenever they buy products.

 There must be a big concern of people who steal a ride like a person in my experience. I am concerned that there are people stealing a ride in normal Entrance of under/over ground station as well. When I stand in front of a train, I have considered my ethics l am norms as I had a desire not to pay a transport fee as well. Passing an entrance could be a trigger act to make people to pay a fare. The act of finding a card reader for paying makes people feel they are paying intentionally. It lets people become conscious of paying behaviour. If card reader machines are not at the entrance, people need to find a card reader machine to pay to use the tube. This might encourage people think of the necessity of paying fees for the public facilities. Furthermore, staff often check people to see whether they have paid or not. The Government has already approved this system, there might be a proper reason for it. Those people who use transportation secretly without paying, it probably makes them think not only about their ethical standards but also concern about the penalty.  

In addition, I think open-entrances in stations are possibly an advertisement to promote a positive image of ‘London’ itself by using that concern. Using this system (open-entrance) could mean Londoners are ethical people.  

Dunne, A. and Raby, F. (2001). Design noir. London: August.

#Design Design_Thinking Goldsmiths_Uni H&T