PICTOGRAMMING · content background The pictogramming method is a participatory method that can reveal how communities can use a place to further create dialogue on the behavioral

PICTOGRAMMINGa participatory placemaking method

Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go

Favorite placeUnsafeEat Be with

friends

Privat samtale

Sol

HengeVære alene Aktiv

RegnværOppholder seg aldri

FavorittstedUtrygtSpise Henge

Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




contentbackground

how?

who can use this tool?

organized workshops

at the project area

example from Norway

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credits 18

backgroundcontentThe pictogramming method is a participatory method that can reveal how communities can use a place to further create dialogue on the behavioral patterns of the users.

It is well suited in the early stages of a project, in analysis of the area and can work as a good starting point to further discuss the needs and wishes of the users.

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how?Community members map their own behavior by placing icons, representing different activities on a map of the project area. The placements of the icons reveals where in the project area theyconduct different activities, and whether there are activitiesthat the area is not adapted or suitable for. Using post-it notes to describe the thoughts behind the placing, can make it easier to analyze the data afterwards. The participants are then asked to reflect on their behavior and compare with the other community members at the workshop.

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how? who can use this tool?This tool is suited for a range of participants, although it was developed especially with youths in mind. It can be adapted for both children, adults and old people by choosing icons of activities adapted to these target groups. The method is suitable in small, defined areas such as parks, streets and school areas, but could also be adapted to a larger area such as a city district or a neighborhood.

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organized workshops

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The pictogramming method can be conducted in organized workshops where people can do the exercise alone, and later discuss their findings together in groups.

Invite key stakeholders and relevant representatives from different organizations and user-groups in the area.

organized workshops

One of the youths explaining and compairing thoughts with the other students .

what do you need?

☐ A suitable place for the workshop ☐ A map of the project area (one per participant)

☐ Icons that are tailored for the project area and the participation group, preferably laminated. 2-3 of each icon for every participant

☐ Post-its and pens for notes

☐ Blackboard and markers for comparing answers and discussions

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at the project area

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It is also possible to do the exercise at the project area, by printing a large map and having passersby place icons on that map. High numbers of similar icons placed in similar areas reveals that it is well suited for that specific activity.

what do you need?

☐ Choose a suitable location in your project area for this activity

☐ A large map of the project area ☐ A whiteboard with wheels to put up the large

map

☐ Icons that are tailored for the project area and the participation group, preferably laminated. 2-3 of each icon for every participant

☐ Post-its and pens for notes 10

what do you need?example from Norway

This tool was tested for the first time in a local case study in Oslo (Norway) with youths from Hersleb High School from the age of 16 to 19, as part of a European project called “PlaceCity, placemaking for sustainable, thriving cities”. Hersleb High School lies in an area of Oslo with small apartments and a lack of green public spaces and several socioeconomic challenges like low educational ambitions and high school dropout rate, drug abuse and violence, high unemployment rates and the highest concentration of municipal social housing in Oslo. The project’s goal was to transform the school yard into an inclusive, vibrant community hub for the whole neighborhood to use, after school hours and on the weekends. 11

Hersleb High School, located in Grønland, one of Oslo's most multicultural neighborhoods.

The goal of the workshop was to identify the potential to better meet the needs of the users (in this case students from the high school), to further develop ideas and suggest improvements for the area (short- and long-term). Participants had to map where they conducted the different activities listed below: sitting, eating, having a private conversation, favorite place, unsafe spaces, where you never go, where you like to be alone, be with friends and being active (sports).

Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




Private conversa-

tion

Sun

SitBe alone Active

Rain Never go


friends

Privat samtale

Sol




Privat samtale

Sol




13Figure 1: Picture of the icons used in this case.

Workshop at Hersleb High School.

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Herslebs gate

Hersleb videregående skole

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After the participants had done the exercise, we went through their findings together and had a discussions about what kind of things they wanted to change and what was important not to change in the school yard. The method gave a good input and gave new insights that a planner could not find on its own.

Figure 2: One of the participants’ answers.

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Figure 3: All the participants favorite places in the school yard.

To illustrate the participants anwers, all answers in one category was put together in one map. In this way it was easier to compare what areas where most popular amongst the youths. This map gives an overview of where the youths favorite spots were.

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Figure 4: Another way to illustrate the answers from the workshop.

As we can see in the map, participants use the outdoor area in different ways. Students have different favorite places in the school yard (bigger yellow circle is the spot most participants chose as a favorite place). In addition, many of the students pointed out differentfavorite places inside the school building.

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creditsThe placemaking tool “Pictogramming” was developed by Ingeborg Njøs Slinde in collaboration with Nabolagshager and Placemaking Europe .

Authors: Ingeborg Njøs Slinde and Laura MartinezGraphic, design and illustrations: Ingeborg Njøs SlindePictures: Nabolagshager

The “Pictogramming” tool is an open source document, but please always credit Nabolagshager and Placemaking Europe as sources.

Documents

PICTOGRAMMING · content background The pictogramming method is a participatory method that can reveal how communities can use a place to further create dialogue on the behavioral