People Divergence Sprint
Shortlist of candidate communities, orbit snapshots, and access channels
Following the toolkit naming conventions, this file is named
exp-01-diverge-people-2025-02-19
Anchor
We’re exploring friction around personal safety and vigilance during the transitional segments of daily travel for women moving between transit and destination in urban and campus contexts.
Shortlist Table (Top 14)
# | Group label | One-line profile | Orbit roles | Likely access channels | Access | Why this group might hurt |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Professional women walking part of commute | Subway→office walkers avoid side streets after dark | Roommates, property manager, transit security | Station exits (AM/PM), coworking email list, LinkedIn women-in-tech | MED | Lighting gaps, sparse foot traffic, exit anxiety |
2 | Female grad students (off-campus) | Late campus→housing walks with variable schedules | Lab mates, dept admins, campus police | Grad Slack, dept newsletters, library exits | HIGH | Staggered hours, budget routes, thin lighting |
3 | Retail closers (evening shift) | Close store, cash-out, walk to bus/subway after 9–11pm | Shift leads, mall security | Employer break rooms, union/worker groups, bus stops | MED | Fixed late hours, predictable routes, fatigue |
4 | Night-shift nurses | 3am lot crossing when staffing is sparse | Nursing supervisors, hospital security | Staff Slack, union board, hospital lots | LOW | Distance + fatigue + predictable patterns |
5 | Campus staff (custodial/night ops) | Solo building exits to parking or transit ~10pm–2am | Facilities mgr, campus police | Facilities briefings, timeclock areas | MED | Dim pathways, tool bags, routine routes |
6 | Rideshare drop-off walkers | Dropped at arterial, walk last 2–6 blocks home | Drivers, building doormen | Rideshare driver forums, building lobbies | LOW | Micro-routes, inconsistent lighting |
7 | International students new to city | Unfamiliar routes; language/apps not fully internalized | Intl office, peers, RA | Intl student office, WhatsApp groups | HIGH | Map anxiety, time-of-day mismatch, signals |
8 | Suburban park-and-ride walkers | Walk from remote lot/bus to workplace pre-dawn | Lot attendants, employer security | Park-and-ride kiosks, employer listserv | MED | Low density, long uncovered stretches |
9 | Hotel housekeepers (AM start) | Transit + early arrival before dawn | Housekeeping leads, HR | Staff entrances, HR bulletin | MED | Early hours, uniforms, predictable cadence |
10 | Restaurant workers (late) | Post-midnight cleanup → transit | Shift leads, door staff | Back-of-house boards, industry FB groups | MED | Cash tips, low foot traffic windows |
11 | Early-morning joggers (women) | Pre-sunrise routes; phone not always in hand | Run clubs, park stewards | Strava/Runclub posts, trailheads | LOW | No pockets, routine paths, sparse help |
12 | Hospital residents | Rotating late calls; garage/lot to housing | Chiefs, parking office | Residency emails, parking kiosks | MED | Irregular hours, exhaustion, badge access |
13 | Tourists near transit | Unfamiliar neighborhoods at dusk | Hotel concierge, tour ops | Hotel lobbies, concierge boards | LOW | Map reliance, visible cues, valuables |
14 | Childcare workers with split shifts | Transit + midday/night returns | Center directors, parents | Center break rooms/newsletters | MED | Unpredictable returns, carry supplies |
Notes: Prioritized groups with (a) recurring late/eary segments, (b) observable routes, (c) plausible access channels, and (d) signals of vigilance load (cognitive tax from staying alert).
Orbit Snapshots (3 of 14)
A) Female Grad Students (off-campus)
- Orbit roles: Lab mates (walk buddies), department admins (listserv reach), campus police (patrol patterns)
- Influences/constraints: Late lab hours; grant deadlines; campus-to-city lighting gaps
- What this unlocks: Group safety norms (check-ins), preferred paths, “avoid zones,” willingness to share ETAs
B) Retail Closers (evening shift)
- Orbit roles: Shift leads (schedule owners), mall/strip security (escorts), transit operators (last bus timing)
- Influences/constraints: Fixed closing times; cash handling; uniform visibility; last run bus
- What this unlocks: Predictable windows for observation/intercept; back-of-house access via managers
C) Professional Women Walking Part of Commute
- Orbit roles: Roommates/partners (check-in routines), building management (lighting), transit security (presence cues)
- Influences/constraints: Seasonal darkness; micro-detours; elevator/door entry lag
- What this unlocks: Rich narratives about exit anxiety, lighting choices, text-to-friend routines
Access Channels to Try (Fastest → Slowest)
- Grad Slack / Dept newsletters (HIGH) — lightweight message with study invite + 10-min intercept at library exits
- Campus facilities briefings (MED) — ask to attend 5-min pre-shift, recruit 1-on-1s; post QR flyers at timeclocks
- Retail break rooms (MED) — manager permission + short sign-up; pair with safe-walk offer or coffee cards
- Employer listservs / HR bulletins (MED) — custodial, hotel housekeeping, hospital parking office
- Station exits intercepts (MED) — clipboard + quick screener + opt-in for 20-min interview later
- International office WhatsApp groups (HIGH) — multilingual invite + map anxiety prompt
Fallback (LOW): Rideshare driver forums; tourist hotel lobbies (permission friction)
Micro “Access Smoke Test” Scripts
Digital (Grad Slack):
“Hi all — quick student study on feeling safe during the short walks between transit and home/lab at night. 10-minute chat at [library exit, 8–10pm], $10 coffee card. Not selling anything; anonymized notes only. DM ‘yes’ for details.”Physical (Retail back room):
“We’re a student team studying late-night walks from store to transit/parking. 3 questions, 5 minutes, off-the-clock, $10 coffee card. OK to say no. Who has closed this week and taken transit?”Intercept (Station exit):
“Two-question study: When you exit here after dark, what do you change? (route/lighting/check-ins) Would you be open to a 20-minute follow-up later this week?”
Bias Check (Applied)
- Not just “people like us”: included night staff, caregivers, service workers, internationals, commuters outside downtown cores
- Mixed digital/physical channels to avoid only-convenience sampling
- Retained LOW access groups (joggers, tourists) as stretch targets for later
Next Moves into Converge
- Email/DM two HIGH channels this week (Grad Slack, Intl Office)
- Run two MED physical intercepts (station PM exit, retail back room with manager OK)
- Bring counts: invites sent, replies, yes to 20-min, actuals scheduled → decide focus group in Converge
Attachments (Data Room pointers)
- Shortlist CSV (20+ rows): Candidate communities, quick profiles, orbit roles, access notes.
- Bias Check Additions (3 non-obvious groups): Documented rationale for why they were added.
- Draft Access Notes (txt): Where/how the team might reach each group (at least one viable channel per group).
- Brainstorm Capture (optional): Screenshot/photo of Miro board, sticky-note clustering, or whiteboard output used to generate candidate groups.