Leveraging Technology for People-Centered Innovation
By balancing digital capabilities with human collaboration, we can create a better world for all
New digital tools like AI and machine learning provide new ways to analyze, connect, and create. But we must keep the human experience front and center in our minds as we develop and use these tools, according to Jeff Risom of Gehl. That requires us to balance the capabilities of digital tools with the capabilities of people in collaboration to achieve the kinds of outcomes that create effective and inclusive spaces. As an example, he shares his team’s work on the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford. Before design began, they selected dozens of diverse individuals to capture images of their daily life on campus and annotate their responses to the buildings and public spaces. They then used AI tools to analyze the images and the notes to create a cohesive understanding of how people of different backgrounds responded to those environments. What they found was that people of color had more negative reactions to the grander architectural styles, and they incorporated this input to create common spaces that were more informal and egalitarian. As another example, he cites their work with Spacemaker to understand intangible but important qualities of our environment, such as noise and air quality, and create spaces that are better for the people who live and work there. Digital tools will continue to evolve, Risom points out, but we must use them to develop more empathy and compassion for people from all walks of life if we want to build a just and fair society.
About the speaker
Jeff Risom is a partner and chief global innovation officer at Gehl. Risom’s focus is on finding new ways to work with data and develop innovative solutions to make better cities for people. This involves using people-first design principles, connecting cities with data, and influencing short-term investment for long-term visions. Risom holds degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder and The London School of Economics.
Related learning
Ready to learn more about people-centered innovation? Check out these AU sessions:
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