By Stephanie Neumann and Ulrich Siegmeier

Boards for all is a prototype that examines concepts for public communication in neighborhood communities. Based on the rapid growth of private, location-aware mobile devices and services, we are looking for ways to introduce a more collective experience of hybrid (digital + physical) public spaces in a city.

The basic idea behind our hybrid interface is to use a simple chalk-board metaphor with hand-writing to maximize accessibility, and communicate a sense of authorship and personality. Using digital technology, boards are connected across urban neighborhoods and with online services. By affording small and useful transactions between neighbors, a sense of local community is created, and social networking based on physical proximity is fostered.

Examples for short transactions include: selling furniture, which can be especially hard to transport over long distances (i.e. when sold on eBay), sharing excess food, for example bakeries giving away fresh food before closing, or supermarkets who want to avoid »containering« or mobilizing neighbors for gatherings, like demonstrations or street festivals.