We all know that taking the stairs is better for our health when compared with riding the elevator or the escalator. But, let’s face it, when presented with the choice, wouldn’t we opt for the “automatic” option?
If the exact same stairs, however, made fun sounds when climbing them, would that make a difference?
You will find the answer to this question in the following clip which demonstrates that assigning stairs a new task of “convincing” people to climb them can result in a fun, innovative and perhaps unexpected situation.
The SIT pattern, by the way, that we see in this inventive idea is called “Task Unification”. When using this pattern, we assign a new task to an existing component – in this case, we assigned the (existing) stairs with the task of convincing people to climb them (a task they didn’t fill before).
What other task could we assign the stairs? Any ideas?
Here is another great example of using the staircase for a different purpose (or in SIT”s language : assigning a new task to an existing resource)
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/11/a-brilliant-storage-idea-staircase-drawers/
Here go some:
1. With all that people going up and down, how about accumulating all that energy and convert it into electric energy?
2. Why not measure and show in a dynamic display how many calories are burned at any given moment (and acxcumulated) so that the city shows it’s more socially responsible?
3. During the evenings, with low frequency between metro cars, make a competence with prizes on how fast people can go up and down 20 times the stairs (sponsored by Stockholm Cardio Institute) =)
Saludos!
Fabian
Few thoughts:
1. as Iris said and Michal gave another exmple this a great application of Task Unification that when used wisely can create a great impact and one of the most desired marketing objectives nowadays: Word of Mouth.
2. I think there is a nice Attribute Dependency that can be identified in the implementaion - the higher people go up the stairs and the more difficult it gets - the scale of the notes are getting higher and giving the person a lighter feeling that contradicts the body feeling and enhance the activity
3. Last thing is the important question of Fusion, would be intersting to understand how VW can make a better fusion between this great activity and their message or brand.
I know the inventor of musical stairs and the original walking piano. His name is Remo Saraceni and is an absolute genius.
He designed these magical items more than twenty years ago and Tom Hanks was the first to dance on walking piano in the movie Big.
If you want to see with your eyes all the possible applications of the walking piano played with the feet take a look at Remo Saraceni’s channel on youtube.