Nandi Keshwor Park Experience Research
September to December 2019 | 10 weeks
UX Research
Overview
As a side project whilst staying in Kathmandu with the landscape architecture students conducting research and design for our community road project, I came across the ideas of biophilic design, and I was curious how those design elements interact with people at a park in the heart of Kathmandu — as green spaces are a rarity in the bustling Kathmandu Valley.
Nandi Keshwor Garden (although officially a garden, it’s widely regarded as a park) emerged as the research of interest due to my study advisor, Professor Laure Heland’s knowledge of the park development and connection with its principal architect, Mr. Prabal Thapa.
Research Timeline
My Role
UX Researcher
Collaborators
Independent study advisor: Professor Laure Heland, Principal Architect: Prabal Thapa
Research Question
How and why do people interact with Nandi Keshwor Park?
My research Process
After defining my initial research question and diving into the historical context of Nandi Keshwor, I came up with three initial hypotheses:
Biophilic design elements encourage people to stay longer at the park.
Social events at the park help facilitate more interest in coming to the park, which may contribute to park maintenance.
Impacts of previous earthquake experience create more place attachment for those who had taken refuge at the park.
Then, I set out to use research methods that I wanted to practice more on, such as ethnographic observation, data-mining on Google Maps Reviews, and on-site survey, as a way to build upon my research skills.
Research Methods
Nandi Keshwor Garden Timeline
Photos of Nandi Keshwor Park / taken in December 2019
Original park plan designed by Prabal Thapa
Method 1 - Observation & Behavioral Mapping
I created these visualizations via Illustrator based on 3 separate sessions of ethnographic observations.
Prominent Observations
Method 2 - Google Maps Reviews
I scrapped 164 reviews from Google Maps in regards Nandi Keshwor Garden within a set window of 3 months’ time.
Snapshot of data analysis and qualitative coding process
Interesting Findings out of 66 Reviews
Method 3 - On-Site Survey
Armed with a few Nepali folks that I had befriended through the participatory research project, I distributed 62 surveys (31 in English; 31 in Nepali) to park-goers on-site.
Correlations of Outcomes
Biophilic design elements encourage people to stay longer at the park.
Grass, water, open space, sunbath, more plants
Social events at the park help facilitate more interest in coming to the
park, which may contribute to park maintenance.
No sufficient data on recent events hosted at the park
Impacts of previous earthquake experience create more place
attachment for those who had taken refuge at the park.
No sufficient data on people who took refuge at the park
Future Research
Compare parks in the area with Nandi Keshwor with biophilic elements, park features, and disaster preparation.
Conduct more qualitative, in-depth interviews: How & why does this place mean a lot to you?
Recommendations
Service design recommendations to park organizers.
Final design pamphlet to illustrate research findings.
REFLECTION ON THIS PROJECT
Researching abroad. Conducting research in a foreign place was surely an eye-opening experience. I was surprised about how open and willing the Nepali people were, when I approached them at the park and asked them to fill out my survey; most of them gladly obliged, and some even offered me snacks! Thanks to my study advisor, Laure Heland, I was able to connect with the principal park architecture, Prabal Thapa, and hear about his story and process of how the park was developed and built through the years. It was heartwarming to see the park through his lens, and feel grateful to have a green park in the heart of Kathmandu.
Trying new methods & learning new concepts. Biophilic design and behavioral mapping are two new concepts unbeknownst to me prior to this research project, and I definitely look forward to expand those concepts in my future research and design opportunities.