A Different Application of Our Class Concepts and Discussions

 My dad currently works as a “design coordinator” at EN Engineering. Some of his responsibilities include: overseeing engineering projects, communicating with clients across the country, looking over completed drawings and records for accuracy, signing off changes that need to be implemented within drawings, striving to enforce deadlines for projects, and adjusting to any setbacks. He primarily deals with drawings of gas pipeline systems that will be placed underground.

While watching Urbanized, I thought about these pipeline systems and wondered if my dad (and the others he works with) ever encounters or considers the “human aspect” of their projects. I decided to ask him about his duties and what types of the “user experience” that’s involved in these projects. I was surprised to hear him talk about some different concepts that closely relate to those we’ve been discussing in class throughout the semester and those that were mentioned in Urbanized.  

I asked my dad whether his workers and himself think about how humans will interact with gas pipelines. My dad first talked about “safety concerns.” He said that a majority of the pipes buried underground are intentionally far away from humans and habitation in case of any leakages. However, not every component of these systems are buried; some valves are actually above the ground for accessibility. Sometimes these pipelines are placed closer to suburbs and cities, so extra safety tools must be included such as alarms and extra devices that will shut off the gas. Whether these gas systems are far away in isolated areas or close to populated areas, they eventually feed into cities and suburbs where people will use gas every day. My dad also said much of his work consists of “replacement projects,” where old piping systems that are deteriorating and becoming dangerous to users are replaced with newer systems. Here, I noticed a crucial concern for humans and human activity. If a location is not ideal for a pipeline system, either the system will be moved somewhere else or manned with the necessary equipment for protecting humans. In a way, it seems like the people who work with these systems must “work around” the individuals already living in the designated areas.

Aside from “safety factors,” I asked my dad about other design elements that are considered with these projects. He mentioned cost, construction, and location. With cost, it’s important to remember that people will be paying for the gas they use. When putting these systems within the ground, people aim to find “the best route with the shortest distance.” Routing around buildings, avoiding water, and knowing what materials will be buried are all important components to the construction aspect. Finally, with location, my dad said that he mainly works with pipes that are already underground. (As I mentioned before, he undertakes a lot of “replacement projects,” where older pipelines are replaced.)

Although editing documents differs from putting a gas pipeline system in the ground, I couldn’t help but notice some crossovers. Of course, budget/cost is an essential factor for any project. Our textbook mentioned that a document’s typeface, binding, size, page amount, and medium for publication will all affect the overall cost. Materials, location, size, and population of users are all probably significant factors that determine the cost. With the pipeline system, companies must think about the distance these pipes will cover and how many people will be using the gas. In both technical editing and pipeline systems, efficiency, presentation, and users’ satisfaction are three desirable outcomes which should be prioritized throughout the construction/editing process.

My dad is also completing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate through NIU. I wanted to look for any similarities between the information he studies in these classes and the work he does as a design coordinator, further making connections with the Urbanized documentary. The information my dad studies in his coursework show both everything above the ground and everything below the ground, from restaurants to animals to pipes. People can use these types of information to display visual information, such as making maps. My dad said GIS “aids advertisers in thinking about how they can make more money to the engineering field to see where pipes are buried, [finding] danger zones, [and to] disregard sites due to human activity. [GIS systems are] good visual [references] for people to make decisions, like where you want to live.”

Although Urbanized did not specifically mention GIS systems, I noticed a connection between the information my dad provided and the documentary. His words reminded me of the city planning scenes where people looked over maps and models of cities. I also thought about how explanations behind the logistics of the design and location of housing units (such as the ones in Brasilia) or problems with different modes of transportation (improving the bus system, putting in bike lanes, etc.). To me, it appears that GIS and city planning share interesting similarities, even if the documents used in each visually represent unlike subjects. In this example, people can observe their desired locations from a “birds-eye view.” My dad also stated that individuals not only have to know how to use GIS data, they have to ensure that it’s accurate. Accuracy is also another crucial component that technical editors must look for in the documents they edit. I like associating accuracy with the GIS data because it provides as a visual example of where technical editing practices can be utilized.  

Urbanized made a strong point of demonstrating that “cities are always changing.” Similarly, my dad said that GIS is often helpful for “future planning.” If people want to modify or expand cities, GIS can assist in this development process. For example, my dad suggested that with GIS, “they can see where they can change. Where the trailer homes are located, where the nicer homes are located, where the water is located.” Of course, the different buildings, natural resources, or living spaces that already exist in the plots around the city can have a direct impact on these city-planning decisions.

Finally, I asked my dad if he ever thinks about the ways his work and GIS impact humans, or if anything in our discussion has caused him to consider his work with “user’s experience” perspective. His answers not only resonated with conversations currently circulating around environmental and humanitarian spheres, it also highlights a grim aspect of the user experience. He said that when planning to expand cities, it is also important to think about how the human population is growing and taking up more space. As someone who appreciates and enjoys being outdoors, he often thinks about the effects on nature and animals. In terms of promoting excessive industrial or urbanizing growth, my dad stated, “You need to stop somewhere. You can’t just keep thinking about making money all the time,” meaning that wealth is often a factor placed with higher importance than concern for the natural environments around society. Within his own work, my dad acknowledged that there lies a difficulty between serving people with their “inevitable needs” and “preserving the natural world and animals.” Lastly, my dad brought up the truthful, but probably highly disregarded, notion of attempting not to “overdo it and kill off things you can never get back” in this pursuit of adapting our societies to serve our technological developments and human needs/demands.   

 

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