Design and Covid-19: Monitoring Urban Data

Abstract

This article discusses the use of population monitoring within urban spaces by designers. It considers its use to define design strategies aiming at mitigating the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some governments have made use of identified citizens' data as well as stored population data collected through telephone companies. In search of new strategies to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic, data such as statistical surveys of the population have been collected and used for communication. As a result, new services are offering digital applications which can help contain the pandemic. Designers are amongst the categories of professionals involved in this new development. When monitoring a community, aspects such as data privacy and surveillance capitalism need to be considered. What will happen to the data collected once the pandemic is over is also a matter of concern. In this context, how and what aspects designers should consider in this scenario are questions that need to be addressed. This study attempts to answer these questions based upon the results of a systematic literature review on the topic. This literature review-based research has confirmed the importance of design strategies in the development of new applications. © 2021 Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.