The New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority has recently announced that they will be selling MetroCard advertising for prices ranging from 18¢ to 51¢ per card. Whether or not this will be the solution to the MTA’s financial woes will remain to be seen. However, there is an opportunity to create a massive game with the collective minds of the MTA’s 8.5 million daily riders according to two designers from creative consultancy Mayday Mayday Mayday. The Co.Design editor likened their idea to turning MetroCards into puzzle pieces for enormous urban puzzles.
If individualized MetroCard printing is possible, the implications for this can be huge! One immediate thought that comes to mind is placing different QR codes in designs that could project a large collective and personalized image in the subway. This could also assist in recovering the thousands of stray MetroCards that exist in all the stations. What if collecting 9 different cards produced a coupon for MetroCard fare or even places you in a lottery for a big prize? New Yorkers are typically against big changes to their transportation system. Perhaps if the daily commute could be made more collectively engaging and enjoyable, gamification could be solving the MTA’s financial problems. What do you think of the MTA’s decision? Will people be keen on playing with their MetroCards?
via Co.Design & Image by SpecialKRB
