Porches and Invitation is an ethnographic-style research study conducted in partnership with Gage Kime. The objective of our research was to understand what made a porch inviting and what did not. We focused on three sites in Columbus, Ohio and we visited the sites multiple times to observe what went on in the situation of porches and we combined this with a massive photo analysis. At the end of our analysis, we were left with four insights relating to invitation through elevation, nature, color/light, and privacy. We then handed off this research to two of our peers, Erin Shaw and Jude Gill, and they were tasked with creating a homegood for the OSU Design Winter Market. This research helped in their development of the Sensory Stitch which is an interactive and decorative fabric flower display.
Research Plan/Sites
Our research took place over 3 week period and we observed 195 houses in three different sites around The Ohio State University.
What We Observed
During our observation we took note of many things such as signage, color, decoration, lighting, nature, the architecture of the porch, and much more. We took notice about whether or not it was being used and when it was being used.
Photo Analysis
After our initial observation, we conducted a photo analysis of the 195 houses in the sites. First we took note of the different aspects of the porch and then we gave the aspects of the porch a rating of either uninviting, semi-inviting, or inviting. These classifications were based upon Christopher Day's form of uncovering a place which go from physical, temporal, mood, and spirit. We saw the physical aspects of the porches and the use of it over time to categorize the mood of the different aspects of the porch. This led to a further categorization of the porch being either uninviting, semi-inviting, or inviting in a more whole sense which was the overall spirit of the place.
Categorization of Porches
These are some examples of categorized porches.
How we organized the data
We then were able to create a map of the site and the houses using our categorization and we found a pretty similar ratio of uninviting, semi-inviting, and inviting porches. This led us to combining our notes from the photo analysis to create a systematic categorization of different aspects of the porches and the notes we took about both the uninviting and inviting porches. After this categorization, we compared subcategories of inviting and uninviting porches to come up with four actionable insights.
Elevation and Invitation
This insight is based on varied elevation and heights.
Nature and Invitation
This insight is based upon the number of instances light was seen in both uninviting and inviting porches.
Light, Color, and Invitation
This insight is based upon the number of instances different colors and different lights were seen in both uninviting and inviting porches.
Privacy and Invitation
This insight is based upon the number of implied layers of privacy between the private and public areas of the sidewalk and the neighborhood as well as the actual fencing of the porch.
Erin and Jude's Sensory Stitch
Sensory Stitch is a homegood based upon our research of porches and invitation and more specifically the connections between color and nature and comforting home environments.