How to raise awareness in Airbnb Users through Interaction Design tools and a Data-driven approach
This Home should not be a Hotel is an informative and activist experience that aims to raise awareness of the effects Airbnb has on cities. People who gravitate around Airbnb, such as tourists, citizens, and hosts, are the main users. The experience is guided by situated storytelling that presents data from Inside Airbnb, a platform that collects all Airbnb data. It's also an open-source tool that helps activism groups in sharing Airbnb data in an engaging way.
National
Italy
Venice
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
As individual(s) in partnership with organisation(s)
First name: Sara Last name: Normanni Gender: Female Please describe the type of organization(s) you work in partnership with: Ocio Venezia is a civic association that organizes informative events on Venice's dynamics.
Inside Airbnb is a platform that collects Airbnb data.
Sheldon.studio is a design studio that develops digital data-driven projects. Age: 23 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Italy Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Via Cerioli 29 Town: Seriate Postal code: 24068 Country: Italy Direct Tel:+393459439486 E-mail:sara@sheldon.studio
"This Home should not be a Hotel" is an informative and activist experience that aims to raise awareness of the adverse effects Airbnb has on cities, such as gentrification, displacement, and inequalities. It has two main touchpoints: a web platform dedicated to activistm groups and a web app dedicated to Airbnb users (guests, hosts and also citizens). The web app's goal is to inform people through data provided by Inside Airbnb, a platform that over the years has collected all Airbnb data (number of listings by city, number of hosts, average nights of rental, average earnings) in a database. The users access a web app through the scan of a QR code on doorknob hangers that are placed on the handles of Airbnbs. Thanks to geolocation, they can see some "stories" displaying how the problem is affecting the place where they are. These stories tell the problem presenting data through an interactive map. Users can then decide to take various actions: donate money to support the project, share customized visualizations, share a thought with other users to create a dialogue, or dive deep into the subject.
On the other hand, it is also an open-source tool for activists who want to inform people about their city's situation. Activists can access a web platform where there are several starter kits that help them organize the whole experience and monitor it. Activism groups from all over the world can follow the starter-kits guides to complete some tasks, such as customizing and printing the doorknob hangers to place around the city. Different activist groups from different cities can come together and create this experience into their own. The projects aims to start a dialogue around the Airbnb issue and involve people in the cities' dynamics.
Airbnb
Gentrification
Awareness
Data visualization
Activism
The concept meets key objectives in terms of sustainability as it's an open-source and digital project. This makes the project accessible anywhere there is a connection. European, American, or Asian activism groups can potentially replicate this initiative in the same way. Its sustainability is also enabled by an already existing database collecting Airbnb's data, thanks to the work of Inside Airbnb. The concept is based on visualizations, data, and information that can be localized, and which can therefore easily vary according to the place. The sustainability of the project is also based on individuals' actions who decide to start the project and carry it forward. The key factors that make this concept sustainable are its open-source nature, already available data, situated experience, and resourcefulness of people.
The aesthetics and quality of the concept are given by the project's design. As a user experience project, user research and the definition of a suitable visual language have been fundamental. A catchy visual style was chosen to recall a street context and to make the information experience visually engaging. The system of "stories" that present the problem to the user is made up of animations that generate movement and curiosity. An illustrative style has been used to make the message engaging and easy to understand. The doorknob-hanger is a metaphor in reverse: it is usually used to not disturb hotel guests. In the project, it is instead used to "disturb" and shake people who rest in the Airbnb. "This home should not be a hotel" is the naming chosen to underline that most of the Airbnb listings are houses that are taken away from the real estate market, houses that are taken away from the residents who want to live in the city.
The project is inclusive because it doesn't want to boycott and criticize Airbnb, it wants to create a moment of dialogue. In the web app, hosts, guests, and citizens are invited to share their thoughts on the situation. The different groups of people can thus virtually meet in a chat that collects everyone's opinions. Citizens can express their point of view, so as to inform tourists, and vice versa. There are many players involved in the Airbnb dynamic, and everyone on the platform can express themselves. There are several factors at play and it is difficult to categorize Airbnb: its effects are both positive and negative on communities and cities. An open dialogue can therefore involve people and make them think critically about it. The concept is also inclusive because it is open-source. This means that anyone can access and replicate the experience anywhere in the world.
During the user research, it was clear that most of the people interviewed do not even imagine the influence that Airbnb has on phenomena such as gentrification, over-tourism, and rise in rental prices. Everyone has a positive opinion of Airbnb. This is not wrong, but that's not all. There are many things to know about Airbnb and how it works, regarding its influence on communities and cities. We need to fill the lack of this knowledge, to have more aware citizens. The impact that this knowledge can have is great because more informed citizens can take action and make a change. People will directly be involved in the project as it deals with dynamics that influence our everyday life.
The organizations involved in the project were Inside Airbnb and OCIO Venezia. Inside Airbnb has provided the data present on their platform (http://insideairbnb.com/venice/). Ocio Venezia (https://ocio-venezia.it/) has offered to collaborate to make a beta test of the experience in Venice, which will probably take place in springtime.
In the prototype phase of the concept, different disciplines have been involved, and even more will be involved if the project comes to reality. The concept was born as an interaction design project, so it involves design knowledge (visual design, UX/UI, user research), prototyping, and development. Another field of knowledge is data visualization and data journalism, being data at the core of the experience. Activism is also a field that has to be considered. Representatives of this field interacted with each other to develop a concept that could come to reality and be sustainable. Data journalists were interviewed to better know what kind of data to communicate. Developers were asked about the feasibility of the project. Activists were interviewed to better know their necessities. User experience was useful in designing the experience flow and in connecting the other competencies.
The concept is innovative because it wants to inform people in an engaging and not boring way, about a serious issue. In most cases, people tend to avoid or "run away" from activists who try to raise awareness of a topic, because they feel uncomfortable or do not have the time to dedicate to them. The proposed initiative is based on curiosity. People are intrigued by the doorknob hanger placed on the door, an emblematic object. Furthermore, the proposed message does not want to criticize Airbnb users for their choices, but to raise doubts and reflections through the data presented (quantitative and qualitative). Another feature that differentiates the concept from others is being open-source. This feature allows the project to be accessible and reproducible in different places, and also to connect them and their citizens.
As an open-source and digital project, all the features of "This Home should not be a Hotel" can be replicated: methodology, technology, and user experience. The data shared with people varies by location, but it's accessible and provided by Inside Airbnb. It is clear that each location is different from the others, and Airbnb produces different effects based on the context. For this reason, in addition to the data, the phenomenon is also told through the opinions of the people who live in that particular context. In fact, in the web app, there is a section where people can express their points of view through a chat. Quantitative data and qualitative data come together to tell the issue, which is different in every place but attributable to a common pattern.
The concept seeks to inform about the consequences that Airbnb produces in cities and in their inhabitants' lives. It is clear how Airbnb is connected to the real estate market and how, in recent years, it contributed to phenomena such as gentrification, the increase in rental prices, and displacement. What is also clear is that people are unaware of what is happening. Most Airbnb's users do not realize the effects that this service generates. User research has shown this. The conceived concept does not try to find a solution to these problems, because they're quite complex. The concept tries to inform people about these dynamics which unfortunately are still unclear. Disinformation is the problem that the concept seeks to solve.
