Phase One: Fall 2016
Team Leads: Jessie Kawata (Design)
Joshua Fisher (Climate Scientist)
Role: Intern, Research and Strategy
Phase One Co-Intern: Gina Om
Scientists are the designers, when it comes to creating hydrological indicators. However, current indicators fall short of meeting end-user needs because they lack context with how they are being used. How can the scientific community harness tools of the design process to create more human-centered indicators?
The goal of this project is to help improve the water community’s decision-making process, by designing a new, visually compelling and user-friendly system of indicators, using data from NASA’s hydrological satellites.
During this phase, I worked as part of a team of climate scientists and designers to research water management at various stakeholder levels, using ethnographic research, visualization and systems-thinking techniques.
A Design Led
Research Strategy
What can the scientific method learn from the design process?
Scope of Phase One
Layering the Design Process over the Scientific Method.
Current State of Climate
Man-made changes have led to a decrease in water availability and uncertain climate variability, making it difficult to forecast available water supplies.
Decision Making
With increased demand and variability, resource managers are finding it difficult to make allocation decisions.
Increasing CO2
Fossil fuel emissions are
leading to changes in the earth’s climate.
Hydrological Cycle
Droughts and floods are
becoming more frequent and severe.
Surface Drying
Much of the land’s surface is drying with decreased water availability.
Climate Variability
Increased demand and
decreased availability.
The Need
To predict and describe the magnitude of drought and improve water management in a changing climate.
Improved Water Management
Why weren’t we able to predict/describe the magnitude of recent mega droughts. How can we improve water management in a changing climate?
Midwest Drought of 2012
Failure to accurately forecast the magnitude of drought.
Usefulness of Indicators
Most water managers find the US Drought Monitor not useful for their applications.
Climate Action Plan
Preparing the US and leading international efforts toward addressing climate change.
UC Davis Calvin Model
Schematic illustrates the complexity of California’s water system.
California as a Case Study
Targeting Our Scope
California is broken into 10 different hydrological regions based on the bodies of water they encompass.
We narrowed our scope to California’s Central Valley (green), which is California’s most productive agricultural region and one of the most productive in the world.
System Challenges
California’s water system is made up of interacting layers: complex and decentralized water infrastructure, various levels of stakeholders, water rights, environmental policy, and other legislation.
Stakeholders
California’s water system is made up of interacting layers of various levels of stakeholders with different, sometimes opposing, concerns
Federal
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of Interior
US Army Corps of Engineers
Environmental Protection Agency
US Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Services
US Geological Survey
Local
Rural and urban areas
Irrigation districts
Water districts
Water Contractors
Water Agencies
State
Department of Water Resources
California Farm Water Coalition
State Water Resources Control Board
State Water Contractors
Association of California Water Agencies
California Federal Bay Delta Program
California Water Commission
Agricultural
Farm Advisors
Farm Consultants
Growers
When and how are decisions are made?
What the participant does in their daily life?
Primary Research
User Map
We targeted our field work and interviews strategically around the Central Valley, as stakeholders within this region experience the most pain regarding drought and resources. These users represent diverse perspectives across each level of stakeholders and were spread out geographically.
Remote Interviews
Once we identified key stakeholders, we recruited participants. We created guide questions based on knowledge goals and conducted phone interviews to give us a better understanding of their perspectives..
Field Research
We visited the San Joaquin Valley, a region within the Central Valley we identified as experiencing the most pain within the system, and met with agricultural growers and water resource managers at the local level.
Generative Toolkit
We developed generative tools based on knowledge goals, curated to each user-type, which we then used to facilitate sessions.
Understanding the users in a convivial sense gave us insight into prototypes for potential solutions.
Knowledge Goals
What factors drive decision making?
What information is most important?
Analysis
Synthesis
We used various methodologies and visualization tools to analyze our research: mapping conceptual models of local water systems, looking at analogous systems from other industries, creating affinity diagrams to reveal underlying themes and patterns.
Strategic Roadmap
As of today, the project is in the design phase, where we are using our findings to develop prototypes of a human centered system of indicators to test with users from the water community.
Scale the project to the national level
Use insights to design a system of user-centered indicators
Research California
as a case study
Phase Two
Phase One
Phase Three