[DG: Open Forum] Access paths

Fri Aug 6 15:38:59 PDT 2010

Thanks for the follow-up Sean. As the conversation has circled around, never ASSUME any issue is as simple as it appears on the surface. Liability and accessibility as always considerations in the physical world. Glad we have a diverse Sakai community.

-Rita

From: Sean DeMonner [mailto:demonner at umich.edu]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 4:45 PM
To: Pavolka, Rita Kay
Cc: Diana Perpich; Sakai
Subject: Re: [DG: Open Forum] Access paths

One follow-up to this: I had some communication with our facilities director about the "chaining of the path" and he said,

"Thanks for the pictures and your observations regarding a more user friendly solution...[snip]...while I agree that this is not the best solution to our building access needs, there are budget limitation that Building & Grounds services must live within.    I will share this information with Building & Grounds Dept.  and inquire further about the future of this area and adding a sidewalk.     However, until this path is identified as an area for improvement and funding is allocated to install a sidewalk, the University will use barriers like this to limit use, and improve safety.   Please let me know if you'd like to discuss this further."

So, I interpret this as saying, "until we have the money to do it right, we need to eliminate a potential safety (and liability) issue". Which I think is understandable. Imagine someone breaking their ankle on that path and suing the University for negligence or making the case that a commonly-used thoroughfare is not ADA compliant, and you can start to get a sense of the not-immediately-obvious challenges and constraints the facilities group faces.

As system builders and administrators we also have to deal with similar constraints and make a good-faith effort to do as much as we can within them.

SMD.

On Aug 6, 2010, at 10:59 AM, Pavolka, Rita Kay wrote:

Not so simple after all. I've never been at the building, sorry to say.

And, by the way, I didn't mean to imply Michigan didn't use woodchips.

Anyway, I've found the excellent examples and comparisons to work we
need to do with Sakai very stimulating.

Thanks,

Rita Pavolka, Indiana University, Sakai online training and support
for IU

where even our students have pickup games of touch-football and
soccer. ;-)

(sent from my iphone)

On Aug 6, 2010, at 10:09 AM, "Perpich, Diana" <dperpich at umich.edu<mailto:dperpich at umich.edu>>
wrote:

The real problem, of course, is complex-- not unlike web design--
with conflicting needs and expectations.  I work in that building,
see that path from my workspace, and I walk that path daily (well,
not yesterday!).  I've actually spent time considering that space.

I think it was probably designed for two main purposes, as dramatic
foreground to set off the building, and also as a flexible
recreational space.  Think touch-football (it is Michigan, after
all) or pickup soccer.  Problem was, the designers forgot to step
outside the space and consider it's relationship to the other
buildings (think other systems) on campus and to what students
actually need to do, which is get to Point A to Point B as
efficiently as possible.  Obvious parallels to educational tool
design.

Wood chips would help with reclaiming the concept of intentional
design.  And they would legitimize the demonstrated need to get from
A to B.  But would they support the students' need to have this
place to play ball?  Granted, the space isn't often used this way--
but sometimes it is-- and the fence might be an attempt to protect
that important minority need.  And sometimes in Sakai we sometimes
make choices to protect the silent minority (accessibility,
security) that look really foolish to pedestrian users.

Oh, and by the way.  The result of the fence will be two dirt
paths.  The original path is still viable for folks with average
inseams.  The second path will aim toward the point where the bushes
meet the sidewalk about ten meters to the west.  That second path
shows up each spring when the dirt path turns to mud.  Users do the
darndest things...

diana perpich | digital media commons | university of michigan

... and don't get me started about the bike racks.

On Aug 5, 2010, at 11:54 PM, Pavolka, Rita Kay wrote:

Yep :-). However, there's a simple solution in the path example. Many
institutions put down wood chips :-)

Rita

(sent from my iphone)

On Aug 5, 2010, at 11:09 PM, "Nate Angell" <nangell at rsmart.com<mailto:nangell at rsmart.com>>
wrote:

Great example Jim! I recognize that path from my own visits to
UMich.

So what's Sakai's fenced-off path: the back button? ;)

- Nate

On Aug 5, 2010, at 7:35 PM, Jim Eng <jimeng at umich.edu<mailto:jimeng at umich.edu>> wrote:

An off-topic musing:

I work in a building that opened about 12 years ago.  Some people
put a lot of thought into the design of the building and how people
would get into it and out of it. Here is a photo taken from just
outside the front door of the building:

<IMG00321.jpg>

That path started to appear shortly after the building opened.  It
has been used every day by dozens of people -- maybe hundreds of
people.  I have always thought of it as an indication that the
designers who worked so hard on this little part of the university
failed to understand some of the needs of the people trying to get
into and out of this building.  There are several other buildings
off in that direction, as well as a couple parking lots.  And the
only other doors on this side of the building are on the loading
dock.  But the people who used the building were able to correct
the oversight of the designers.  One person after another chose to
use the pretty direct route to the front door (except maybe on
rainy days).  In winter, a walkway through the snow quickly appears
-- following pretty much the same route as this path.

Now here's an update:

<IMG00322.jpg>

Those posts and chains were added yesterday.  I take this as an
indication that someone currently responsible for the design of
this little part of the university saw a problem.  But they blamed
the problem on the people who use this building and decided the
answer was to make it harder to get to and from the building.
Instead of turning the path into a sidewalk, they want to keep
people from using the path.

Grrrr.

What does this have to do with the design of webapps?  If we see
that people are creating their own paths through our pages, do we
put up fences and barricades?  Or do we recognize the natural paths
identified by our users and help make it easier for our users to
accomplish their goals?

Oh, nevermind.

Jim
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SMD.

==========================================================
Sean DeMonner, IT Senior Project Manager, CTools Implementation Group
Digital Media Commons @ The Duderstadt Center, U-M      (734) 615-9765

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