In the Mood: Research Project Report

<p dir="ltr">Led by the research of the Digital Ethnography Research Center Co-Director and Media and Communication Professor Anette Markham – in 4 cities across 3 countries, we hosted place-based workshops that asked the question: “What is the mood of the city, especially in a time of post-COVID recovery?”</p><p dir="ltr">We saw this as an experiment to build methods for citizen social science, where researchers and citizens playfully co-created visual impressions of the ‘moods’ of their cities.</p><p dir="ltr">We designed workshops that focused on mindful interaction techniques, where participants translated tactic experience into discrete units of cultural information to create moodboards.</p><p dir="ltr">Moodboarding became a method for thinking about datafication in smart cities, and identified what often gets overlooked – the sensory texture of the lived experience.</p><p dir="ltr">Moodmapping demonstrates that mood matters, and reflects much more depth than can be attained through massive data collection and automated analysis.</p><p dir="ltr">Together, we’re tackling real-world, urban challenges and seeking innovations that improve liveability, connection, and community resilience; and ultimately evolve spaces into places.</p>