New Haven Shootings - Cultural Probe

Theoretical Project for a Community Riddled by Violence

About:

Problem:

For a small city, New Haven - home to world-renowned Yale University- has an unusually high rate of murder, per capita. In 2011 alone there has been 25 killings, already surpassing 2010's total. The amount of shootings and killings per year has a very negative impact on all citizens of the Elm City.

The website 24/7 Wall St - based on figures released by the FBI - ranks New Haven as number four in The Most Dangerous Cities In America, with an average of violent crimes of 15.8 per 1,000 people in a city with a population of 125 thousand.

Design Approach:

In order to begin a productive conversation and potentially rich relationship with this community I have designed a cultural probe kit designed to gain insight and trust from a population riddled with violence. Our communities are united through the art we create, the music we listen to, the food we eat and the archetypes we admire and construct. This probe kit represents all of these elements, both tactile and digital, offering the community a chance to express themselves and perhaps to act as a first step toward helping people feel empowered to stop the bloodshed.

Learn more about the project here.