For a fresh take on what security cameras should look like, Rob Walker points to a project for Dutch Railways by the Amsterdam-based firm Fabrique, which “resulted in a form of security camera that expects to be seen”:
“The goal was to reduce the Big Brother feeling,” [Fabrique creative director Jeroen] van
Erp told me, straightaway. Dutch Railways (or NS), had done some research on “what kind of emotions were or weren’t evoked” by its camera system. “People knew there were cameras,” he continued, but they didn’t always know where they were (since the cameras were mounted to see, without much thought to being seen). And when they did spot one, they didn’t necessarily feel great about it. According to the data van Erp gave me, research found that while 68% of subjects agreed that the cameras they saw made them “feel safe,” an alarming 34% also said the objects inspired “a ‘big brother’ feeling.” (And a mere 9% found the things “beautiful,” which is actually a surprisingly high number, to me.)
“So we said: Let’s try to change attitudes, with design,” van Erp said. … Rounded edges, bright colors, a more organic sense of living “eye”-ness: The upshot was a camera that’s comfortable being visible. The cameras were also deployed in a more determinedly visible way, acknowledging that people should see them. …
The data van Erup gave me suggests that the public … responded positively to these cameras. The percentage who called the object “beautiful” leapt to 80%; those reporting Big Brother vibe dropped to 12%. And the obviously critical safe-feeling response rose a bit — to 71%.
(Image of security camera by Fabrique)
The Dish 