Applying Social Network Theory in Design Research: The Case of Urban

Transport in Pune, India

Akshay Shinde, MFA candidate, Industrial Design and Christine Miller, Ph.D.
Professor of Design Management, Savannah College of Art and Design

In India, globalization is rapidly changing value systems, ethics, and,

consequently, everyday life. Nowhere is it more apparent than on the roads
where these changes are reflected in increasing transport options and a growing
design awareness. They are played out daily in the constant manipulation and
negotiation as people engage with traffic laws, police, senior citizens, and each
other. In this seemingly chaotic techno-socio-cultural environment there is an
emergent order, which has implications for anyone interested in designing
sustainable solutions for urban travel.

The focus of this study is Pune, which has become a major industrial and IT hub
and a satellite city for Mumbai, one of India’s main commercial centers. Pune is
experiencing high levels of migration. Rapid growth, a rise in personal affluence,
and increased use of private vehicles has outpaced infrastructure development.
Inadequate road-based public transport services and a “culture of tolerance”
have led to traffic congestion, pollution, and stress-related
travel problems.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how social network theory can be applied
in design research. Specifically, we ask “How can social network analysis (SNA)
be applied to design and implement solutions to Pune’s transport dilemma?”
Data for this study of Pune commuters was collected on site over a three-month
period in 2009 using ethnographic methods. Research in context was followed by
online surveys. Analysis suggests that while everyday choices regarding
transport are made by individuals, the key to identifying design opportunities and
to implementing solutions lies in uncovering and visualizing the networks that
exist within the seeming chaos of Pune’s transport system.

Keywords: urban transportation, social network analysis, design research

Download copies of COINs 2009 research and industry papers at ScienceDirect.

Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/issue/59087-2010-999979995-
2182758

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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 2, Issue 4, The 1st
Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference - COINs2009. Edited by Kenneth
Riopelle, Peter Gloor, Christine Miller and Julia Gluesing.

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