Sourcemap.org: a Tool for Collective Simulation
Leonardo Bonanni, Matthew Hockenberry, Alexander Pak, Hiroshi Ishii
MIT Media Laboratory, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
sourcemap@media.mit.edu
ABSTRACT
We define collective simulation as the distributed effort
toward understanding social phenomena with no single
defined solution. This paper presents the design of a tool
for collectively simulating product supply chains in order to
understand their myriad social and environmental impacts
(Sourcemap.org). The website was informed by
ethnographic and usability research to provide a simplified
environmental impact assessment that can engage a wide
audience. Multiple points of entry to the site and a learning
component engage experts and novices alike, while a
number of export options are offered to motivate sustained
use. We present guidelines for the design of similar tools
which are becoming necessary to address problems with
complex measures across the social spectrum.
We present a case study of the design of an application for
the collective simulation of product supply chains
(Sourcemap.org). Sourcemap combines an environmental
impact calculator with social networking functionality and
various export options to attract designers, entrepreneurs,
journalists and consumers alike. The design process relies
on needs-finding, usability studies, establishing trust and
motivating users. We present the design and development
of Sourcemap.org and tools for collective simulation to
begin addressing problems across the social domain.
Author Keywords
Collective Simulation, Environmental Sustainability,
Supply Chain Management, Life Cycle Assessment, Social
Networking, Web Design.
INTRODUCTION
The distributed tools and communication channels of the
web make it possible to tackle problems of vast scale and
complexity – even issues with no apparent solution. The
combination of web-based software and social networks
has the capacity to tackle difficult social issues by reaching
a large and diverse audience. We present a framework for
leveraging collective intelligence toward understanding
complex problems such as environmental sustainability,
health and policy. Unlike traditional collective intelligence
tools these websites are designed to address problems
where there is no best answer – as with supply chains,
which have environmental, cultural and ethical
consequences.
Collective simulation relies on trustworthy web-based tools
with multiple points of entry that attract a variety of
viewpoints. A heterogeneous user base favors discussion
around multiple perspectives of the same issue, which is
fundamental to addressing complex social problems. The
design process relies on understanding the needs and
motivations of potential users. Tools for collective
simulation rely on a universally accessible tool with a
learning component to reach a wider audience. While there
is no clear answer to be obtained, multiple interpretations
initiate a discussion which will lead to large-scale
addressing of the deeper issues.
Figure 1. Sourcemap is built around a map visualization of
each product’s supply chain.
RELATED WORK
Tools for collective simulation are an emerging type of
collective intelligence which employs web-based software
and social networking to collectively tackle major issues.
Collective simulation relies on many novices to contribute
their estimations to a complex problem.
One early example of tools for collective simulation is the
short-lived Government Information Awareness, a political
sousveillance site powered by research instruments to
identify conflicts of interest between public officials and
industry [1]. The site highlights the social nature of
collective simulation, where the contributions of many
diverse constituents are necessary to arrive at an accurate
depiction of a problem.
The popular Many Eyes project provides means to visualize
and share data sets on-line [2]. It is popular with
researchers especially, in part because of the attractive and
exportable visualizations that users can create and export.
Wattzon allows users to calculate and compare their carbon
footprint, in part by using a simplified system of
measurement and incorporating a learning component in
the site [3].
Tools for collective simulation are distinguished by online
software that expands the capacity of many users to learn
about, research and contribute to a complex problem. These
tools are especially suited to tackling social problems
where clear answers are difficult to find. They benefit from
a simplified design and a learning component to attract a
wider audience. Identifying the target audience and
providing appropriate export options can help to motivate
long-term use.
the source code and database information for anyone to see.
Finally, the project is licensed under an open source license
maintained by a non-profit academic institution to reduce
the risk of a conflict of interest.
DESIGN PROCESS
Modern supply chains belie many important environmental
and social problems, in part because they are opaque and
their impact can be widespread. Recently some responsible
companies have voluntarily begun to communicate their
environmental and social impact as a way of marketing
their products. Footwear manufacturer Timberland has
created a unique product label specifically highlighting its
manufacturing standards and supply chain [4]. Apparel
producer Patagonia has implemented an on-line feature to
their website which details the steps of their supply chain
on a map, as well as describing each product’s life-cycle
impact [5]. While major producers can afford to
commission environmental assessments, many small
companies with responsible and sustainable practices
cannot. We sought to design a tool whereby supply chains
could be investigated and shared in a collective manner to
raise awareness about and improve practices related to
social and environmental impact. This resulted in the
website http://www.sourcemap.org, a social network built
around a life-cycle assessment calculator. Our design
process was framed by a needs-finding approach and
usability evaluation. In addition we employed several
distinct strategies to ensure trust and to motivate users.
Needs-Finding
Our team interviewed likely users in seven public and
private organizations to identify their needs and
motivations. The professionals interviewed work in the
domains of regional development, hospitality, food and
beverage, and product design. All are either proprietors of
or work directly with small, ethically and environmentally
progressive companies. Through the interviews, we
confirmed the need for small businesses to self-assess their
environmental footprint. The subjects we interviewed also
expressed a desire to develop business strategy and
marketing around their environmental footprints. Finally,
most of the business owners sought to highlight the cultural
and geographic nature of their business practice.
Establishing Trust
A primary design consideration for any website is to foster
trust in the service provided and the authority of the
authors. As Sourcemap is intended to offer a reliable
environmental impact assessment, it became important to
make strategic decisions aimed at fostering trust through
reliable linked data and neutrality. For this reason we use
authoritative environmental impact and geological
databases to establish base data. Next, we make available
Figure 2. Sourcemap has multiple export options to motivate
sustained use, especially for marketing. From the top: optical
codes can be exported to link to the Sourcemap entry; printed
maps can be used in restaurant menus; and interactive badges
can be embedded in external websites.
Motivating Use
The design of Sourcemap directly addresses the needs of
the users we interviewed in addition to providing useful
export options to motivate sustained use. In contributing
the supply chain information behind a product or service,
users create an approximate carbon footprint value and
produce an interactive map visualization of the supply
chain (see Fig. 1). Once they have completed an entry on
the site, they can export the information as an embedded
widget on an external webpage, as a printable visualization
on product packaging or as an optical code linked to the
entry on Sourcemap.org (see Fig. 2). In the future, it will be
possible to customize the export options to fit the branding
and design of specific products.
Usability
Sourcemap seeks to increase the awareness of supply chain
impacts and benefits, as a result it was designed to be
usable beyond the small group of experts in environmental
assessment. The site relies on a simplified Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) calculator which takes into
consideration only information readily provided by users.
As part of the experience of using the site, materials and
shipping are depicted in terms of relative impact through
intuitive color coding and sorting. The map visualization
provides an intuitive image of cultural origins and shipping
impact. Using the site is in itself a learning experience (See
Fig. 3). The reliance on a ubiquitous global standard
(emissions equivalent in CO2) allows the data to be
compared with other sites and provides a standard against
which to offset pollution. The site is being fine-tuned
through a pilot study with product design and business
students as well as a select group of web-savvy business
owners.
Figure 3. An example of the teaching element of Sourcemap:
materials are color-coded to indicate impact as part of the
selection process.
DESIGN
Sourcemap is a social network built around product supply
chains. These are symbolized by map visualizations
showing the parts and provenance of products and services.
Users can browse existing supply chains or log in to create
one of their own. Each entry is structured around a Life
Cycle Assessment calculator that accounts for the pollution
emitted by the manufacturing, shipping and use of
individual products and services [6]. Users can simulate the
supply chain of a product such as a computer or a car; they
can calculate the impact of a specific meal based on its
ingredients or the impact of shipping people and goods to
an event. In each case, users detail the constituent parts,
their quantities and geographic origins. These are matched
to a comprehensive material database and geological
information to determine the pollution equivalent from
their production, shipping and use. The carbon footprint
equivalent is displayed of each constituent part, its shipping
and the object totals. A map is also generated that shows
the geographic spread of each supply chain. In some cases
– as with semiconductors – as many as fifty materials are
sourced in dozens of countries. In other cases – as with
local restaurants – the entire supply chain can be contained
to a single country or region. Alongside the carbon
footprint rating, this map provides an intuitive assessment
of each object’s impact.
Each entry in Sourcemap can be exported to external
websites, printed or linked to be useful as part of marketing
on behalf of users. One local caterer prints the maps to be
included in menus for special events. A ‘green’ hotelier
displays the origins of guests on her website and offsets the
carbon from their travel to provide a ‘carbon-neutral’
vacation destination. In the future, we will tie the site to
cost information so that businesses can calculate the
savings from adopting certain strategies. We also hope that
the site can be used by designers and journalists to
investigate the potential impact of existing products and to
motivate socially responsible production from the ground
up.
CONCLUSION
Sourcemap.org is an early attempt to create a collective tool
that builds solution paths where no path currently exists.
Supply chains (as with many other social issues) have
numerous metrics for success, especially determined by
when and where they are established. Some of the metrics
useful to determine whether a supply chain is appropriate
are local interests, environmental factors, human rights –
none of which can be quantified in absolute terms. When
there is no single solution, it is fundamental for designers to
provide the tools to initiate discussions about the variables
that matter.
In the future, we aim to include more complex commenting
and comparison engines to elevate the discussion beyond
basic environmental and geographic metrics. We believe
that the design methods behind Sourcemap are applicable
to many social domains, including scientitic visualization,
legislation and other social and ethical issues. While we are
still early in our ability to evaluate our efforts, it is clear
that new tools are becoming necessary to initiate a
discussion about and define the criteria for the large-scale
problems affecting us today.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful for the support of the Tangible Media
Group, the Things That Think Consortium at the MIT
Media Lab, and our collaborators at the Highlands and
Islands Enterprise, Season to Taste Catering, Wattzon, IBM
and Avencia.
REFERENCES
1.Government Information Awareness: formerly at
http://opengov.media.mit.edu, now archived at
http://web.archive.org/web/20031229082928/http://openg
ov.media.mit.edu/ and documented at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Information_A
wareness
2.Many Eyes:
http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/
3.Wattzon: http://www.wattzon.com/
4.The Timberland label is described in this article: Amy
Cortese, “Friend of Nature? Let’s See Those Shoes.” The
New York Times, March 7, 2007. Available at
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/business/businesssp
ecial2/07label-sub.html
5.The Patagonia Footprint Chronicles are at
http://www.patagonia.com/usa/footprint/index.jsp
6.Giudice, Fabio, LaRosa, Guido, Risitano, Antonino.
Product Design for the Environment: a Life Cycle
Approach. CRC 2006.