Turning the tables on crime: Boosting evidence of impact design against crime and the strategic capacity to deliver practical design solutions
Lead Research Organisation:
University of the Arts London
Department Name: Central Saint Martin's College
Abstract
This 3-year project aims to design and modify a range of security fittings intended to prevent theft of assorted bags in bars, and evaluate their impact in six high- crime London venues. The twin purposes are to provide hard evidence of crime reduction and, by developing procedures and protocols, to boost the generic capacity of designers and crime scientists jointly to create and implement solutions.
A successful pilot study (Grippa 2004-5), funded by AHRB, concept-proofed and tested anti-theft furniture and accessories. Additional evaluative work funded by the police revealed the need to develop procedures for bridging the gap between designers and those who evaluate the impact of Design Against Crime (OAC). To pursue this an interdisciplinary project will be created by a unique collaboration between London-based researchers from the DAC Research Centre at Central Saint Martins, at University of the Arts, and those from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, at University College. A major strength of this collaboration is that it brings together teams with internationally renowned reputations, to work on a common set of problems, and to create a strategic partnership. But there is a further ambition. The appointment in June 2005 of Prof Ekblom from the Home Office to the practice-led DAC Research Centre at CSM brings an intention to integrate the diverse practical, methodological and theoretical discourses in design and crime prevention.
Designers have started applying their skills to prevent crime. However, evaluation issues were not closely addressed in the Design Council Professional Guidance for Crime Prevention, and the associated design case studies provided evidence that was plausible but not 'hard'. Despite the fact that Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) has well-developed methodology no criminological evaluation procedures have been created specifically for DAC. Likewise for manufacturers of security products, demonstrating crime impact has been less important than securing market share.
Obtaining hard evidence of effectiveness is important because government crime reduction strategy is evidence-based. Research is needed for proof of principle of DAC at a policy level, and so designers, crime prevention practitioners and consumers can know which methods/makes/models of security product are cost effective in which contexts.
Evidence is important in the design process because impact on crime is the ultimate fitness test for products designed with that function. Crime prevention has been described as an arms race where preventers struggle to keep up with social/ technical change and adaptive criminals. Building the capacity to innovate productively is a long-term strategy reliant on empowerment of designers/crime-preventers to out-innovate offenders. Developing the capacity for impact evaluation of DAC products is part of this empowerment.
Our project will help researchers undertake and utilise research beyond usual academic specialisms and also strengthen the CSM/JDI growing partnership. The intention is to maximise the value of research outcomes by aiming to facilitate/promote dissemination to research/practitioner and policymaking communities; also to the general public. We wish to foster a strong climate of understanding that design should/could be used cost-effectively and acceptably to reduce crime.
A successful pilot study (Grippa 2004-5), funded by AHRB, concept-proofed and tested anti-theft furniture and accessories. Additional evaluative work funded by the police revealed the need to develop procedures for bridging the gap between designers and those who evaluate the impact of Design Against Crime (OAC). To pursue this an interdisciplinary project will be created by a unique collaboration between London-based researchers from the DAC Research Centre at Central Saint Martins, at University of the Arts, and those from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, at University College. A major strength of this collaboration is that it brings together teams with internationally renowned reputations, to work on a common set of problems, and to create a strategic partnership. But there is a further ambition. The appointment in June 2005 of Prof Ekblom from the Home Office to the practice-led DAC Research Centre at CSM brings an intention to integrate the diverse practical, methodological and theoretical discourses in design and crime prevention.
Designers have started applying their skills to prevent crime. However, evaluation issues were not closely addressed in the Design Council Professional Guidance for Crime Prevention, and the associated design case studies provided evidence that was plausible but not 'hard'. Despite the fact that Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) has well-developed methodology no criminological evaluation procedures have been created specifically for DAC. Likewise for manufacturers of security products, demonstrating crime impact has been less important than securing market share.
Obtaining hard evidence of effectiveness is important because government crime reduction strategy is evidence-based. Research is needed for proof of principle of DAC at a policy level, and so designers, crime prevention practitioners and consumers can know which methods/makes/models of security product are cost effective in which contexts.
Evidence is important in the design process because impact on crime is the ultimate fitness test for products designed with that function. Crime prevention has been described as an arms race where preventers struggle to keep up with social/ technical change and adaptive criminals. Building the capacity to innovate productively is a long-term strategy reliant on empowerment of designers/crime-preventers to out-innovate offenders. Developing the capacity for impact evaluation of DAC products is part of this empowerment.
Our project will help researchers undertake and utilise research beyond usual academic specialisms and also strengthen the CSM/JDI growing partnership. The intention is to maximise the value of research outcomes by aiming to facilitate/promote dissemination to research/practitioner and policymaking communities; also to the general public. We wish to foster a strong climate of understanding that design should/could be used cost-effectively and acceptably to reduce crime.
Publications
Ekblom P
(2012)
Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Products
Ekblom P
(2012)
Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Products
Ekblom P
(2012)
Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Objects
Ekblom P
(2011)
International Perspectives of Crime Prevention 4
Sidebottom A
(2009)
Bag theft in bars: An analysis of relative risk, perceived risk and modus operandi
in Security Journal
Gamman L
(2009)
Less Is More: What Design Against Crime Can Contribute To Sustainability
in Built Environment
Willcocks M
(2008)
Development and design of anti bag theft communication designs.
| Title | (Socially Responsive) Designs Against Crime exhibition x 4 |
| Description | An exhibition curated by Gamman, L. and Thorpe, A. Originally created for a crime prevention and criminology audience, and first shown at the ECCA conference event was redesigned for exhibitions at three other venues, linked to related conference and seminar presentations. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2007 |
| Impact | The Grippa clips were exhibited as exemplars of design against crime at these exhibitions. 'ECCA' conference at UCL London (2007), 'Tent' exhibiton at the Truman Brewery London (2007), 'Safer Sustainable Cities' at Welsh School of Architectural Glass, Swansea (2008) and the Home Office Stakeholder exhibition (2008). |
| Title | Design in Public Space: Safety |
| Description | Grippa clips and Grippa communication graphics |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Impact | The exhibition with a focus on the issue of 'safety' was aimed at designers, urbanists and municipal bodies who provide and decide upon equipment for public space and held at Silesian Castle of Art and Enterprise, Cieszyn, Poland. It included design exemplars such as Grippa clips and Grippa communication graphics. |
| Title | Grippa clip final versions |
| Description | Grippa Curl - 1 type, 2 options with and without on-clip printed graphic communication. Relative to earlier versions the clip has a larger capacity, to accommodate up to 25mm bag strap diameters, which is more than sufficient for most varieties tested; many larger straps are easily folded to fit, too. The self-closing gate is secured by the weight of the bag. This means that belongings can be simply hung using a one-handed operation but require a two-handed action to remove them, thus removal is still simple for the owner, but becomes a slower and more conspicuous process, helping to deter theives. The Curl is designed to operate in both horizontal or vertical orientations, so is suited to being mounted on tables but also on other surfaces such as bars and walls, and is easily and securely installed using two screws. The bright coloured designs have proven to help customers take notice of the clips' presence in the venue and the optional bag logo printed onto the body of the Grippa adds clear communication about its function and subtly reminds customers to take care of their belongings. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | The Grippa clip reduces opportunities for thieves and it acts as an aid to caring for customers (covering not just loss but tidiness and cleanliness), so as not to jeopardise the image of bars where it is used. |
| URL | http://www.grippaclip.com/design-outputs-2/grippa-clips/ |
| Title | Grippa prototypes (4 types) produced and trialled in London and Barcelona |
| Description | Four Grippa clip products 1. A solid two piece casting with two flat surfaces for mounting in corners or on flat surface. A gated mechanism is used to securely hold and lock an item once mounted to a table of bar type area. The gate pivots to allow an item to be hung inside the clip. Once the item is in, the gate closes and the bag acts as a lock to prevent it being taken easily. 2. A solid one piece casting with two flat surfaces for mounting in corners or on flat surface. A hooking mechanism is used to securely hold an item once mounted to a table of bar type area. The cavity that the item sits in has a blunt barb (like a curled coat hook) to make it more difficult to remove. 3. A solid one piece casting to be used in conjunction as a total of three unit around a central circular table leg. A hooking mechanism is used to securely hold an item once mounted around a central circular table leg. The cavity that the bag sits in has a barb (like a blunt fish hook) to make it more difficult to remove the item. 4. A solid one piece casting to be used in conjunction as a total of three unit around a central circular table leg. A hooking mechanism is used to securely hold an item once mounted around a central circular table leg. The cavity that the bag sits in has two overlapping surfaces that make it more difficult to remove the item. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Impact | The Grippa clips were designed to sharply discriminate between offender and user, be visible as well as robust, support a wide range of large and small bags, be safe and easy to clean, and avoid damaging furniture, and easy to install; and to communicate their purpose to the user. |
| URL | http://www.grippaclip.com/ |
| Description | This project was created to design, develop and user-test a range of table-mounted clips (Grippas) whose purpose was to prevent the theft of customers' bags in places like bars and restaurants; and then to undertake a rigorous evaluation of their impact in reducing theft levels in 13 trial bars and 14 similar comparison sites where no clips were fitted. Beside developing near-market product and communication design responses, the project aimed to explore the possibilities of a design process in which user- and abuser-centred product design was combined with the methods and theories of crime science, a new academic approach to practical, research-, evidence- and theory-based crime prevention. The financial crisis of 2008 unfortunately and unforseeably led the major national bar company committed to installing the clips in 13 bars to withdraw from the project at a late stage, after the clips had been tested in two pilot venues. This meant that the original evaluation stage had to be abandoned and efforts concentrated on deriving other benefits from the project. Findings therefore included: • Crime science and design can come together to generate useful, practical design responses. The effort required to bridge disciplines indicated that in future such collaborations would benefit from giving the crime science a head start so the information generated on crime patterns, perpetrators' theft techniques etc., can comfortably feed into the design process at its earliest stage. Statistical requirements of rigorous impact evaluations, and product-development costings and timescales on the design side are interdependent and have to be considered simultaneously. We developed a spreadsheet application, CRITIC, to aid planning in this respect. • A product as apparently simple as a hinged bag grip to screw beneath a table or on a wall indicated strong capactiy to positively change customer behaviour in respect of caring for belongings, but required a high-performance design given the large number of sometimes contradictory requirements needed to make it acceptable to the range of stakeholders/users. This involved considerations not only of materials but importantly unmistakeable graphic and product communication, compatibility with branded bar/café environments, product price point, durability, ease of cleaning, ease of installation, ease of use for legitimate customer, challenge of use of potential thief and more. • The most challenging aspects of the process were in researching, and adapting to, the needs of the users and the work and leisure environment of the bars. In the two pilot bars, the customers interviewed appreciated the idea of clips, and liked the designs - but observations revealed that low percentages of actually used the mid-stage prototypes installed, although the uptake was already many times greater than previous observations of the existing alternative 'Chelsea clips' (undertaken with Met Police, Islington). This lead us to test a range of ways to better bring the clips to customers' attention. This included changes in colour, contrast, size, installation position, plus clear on-product graphic communication, message hangers, posters, 'hanging bag' silhouettes on the clips). In other venues beyond the original project (some in Barcelona, later with a café chain at London's Victoria Station) however, more supportive staff and management combined with the updated design iterations, ensured a far wider use of the clips. At Victoria there was a marked increase in the extent to which customers stowed their bags in secure positions. One of the conclusions from this was that the 'involvement' processes of mobilising, partnering and 'climate-setting', with customers, bar management etc., who were required to act in crime preventer roles, had to be done in step with the design work. Moreover, design itself could be recruited to boost mobilisation, for example through the various communication media tried out, as described. • A key climate-setting issue for the 'place managers' who decided whether or not to install and encourage the use of the clips was how to do so without alarming the customers about crime risks (and potentially driving them away), and while staying within the pressure of 'brand guidelines' for their particular bar or café environment. In Barcelona the branded environments included greater capcity for change but in the London bars the management strongly wished to down-play security and brand-impact concerns. It proved to help to present the clips' role not only in enhancing safety, but also their value for customer care, tidiness and keeping bags off the floor within busy establishments. |
| Exploitation Route | • Since the project finished the Grippa Clips have already been installed in a range of new venues and have appeared in at least one security product catalogue [https://www.selectamark.co.uk/handbag-clips/grippa-clip, accessed 06.04.13]. • Our experience in bringing together crime science and design processes on this and other projects also enabled us to develop practice models such as the 'Security Function Framework' as a means of retrospectively describing a secure design, and prospectively helping crime scientists and designers come up with new designs. The framework (see Ekblom 2012a,b; Ekblom et al 2012) addresses four aspects of design: Purpose (what are the various stakeholder requirements? e.g. reduce bag theft, customer care, make looking after belongings easier, don't injure customers, easy to install and maintain); Security Niche (how does the product fit with other security products and practices? E.g. a dedicated security product with no other purpose, as with a padlock, or a 'securing' product which has another main use but has security features such as the Grippa, for e.g. designed also to improve ease of experience through added customer service, or the Stop Thief café chair with a notch to fasten one's bag under one's knees); Mechanism (How does it work? E.g. by physically blocking the offender's moves, or by alerting the bag owner); and Technicality (How is the product manufactured, of what materials, and how is it operated by the user?). • A design and research resource documenting this project, some of its key learning and developments, was also made available at www.grippaclip.com. This has since been shared with practitioners in industry, as well as those in crime prevention, design, and academia/education. Practice models of these kind can be used to capture and transfer practice knowledge in detail and to help refine designs in reflective iterations of trial and improvement. They can also be used to develop specifications for new designs. An example of this was the use of the Security Function Framework to generate and organise a design specification for 'Explosion Resistant Railway Carriages' (Meyer and Ekblom 2011). As such, the framework contributes to building the innovative capacity of designers. This is of vital practical importance in keeping up with changing social and technological circumstances and adaptive, innovative offenders - in fact, an arms race between crime preventers and criminals, and those with a duty of care for other interest-communities. References Ekblom, P. (2012a) 'The Security Function Framework'; and 'Conclusion' in P. Ekblom (ed), Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Objects. Crime Prevention Studies 27. Boulder, Col.: Lynne Rienner. Ekblom, P. (2012). 'The Private Sector and Designing Products against Crime' in Welsh, B. and Farrington, D. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook on Crime Prevention, 384-403. Oxford: OUP. Ekblom, P., Bowers, K., Gamman, L., Sidebottom, A., Thomas, C., Thorpe, A. and Willcocks, M. (2012) 'Reducing Handbag Theft in bars' in P. Ekblom (ed), Design Against Crime: Crime Proofing Everyday Objects. Crime Prevention Studies 27. Boulder, Col.: Lynne Rienner. Meyer, S. and Ekblom, P. (2011) 'Specifying the explosion-resistant railway carriage - a desktop test of the Security Function Framework'. Journal of Transportation Security. 5: 69-85. www.springerlink.com/content/qj3541v703765145/ |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy |
| URL | http://www.grippaclip.com/ |
| Description | The Grippa clips have been used in exhibitions, demonstrations and websites (incl Design Council Case Studies and guidance) to highlight the contribution of product design to crime prevention. Problems in the project have been used to exemplify and give guidance on crime prevention 'implementation failure' issues. The Security Function Framework, deriving from the project, has been used to characterise a range of existing designs both retrospectively and in specification, including the 'explosion resistant rail carriage' |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Title | Practice-led Design Against Crime methodology |
| Description | The Design Against Crime Research Centre (DACRC) 'Twin Track' design research process is integral and vital to the work we have conducted during the 'Grippa' project. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Development of a practice-led Design Against Crime methodology which has evolved as a result of the Grippa project. |
| URL | http://www.designagainstcrime.com/index.php?q=designmethodology |
| Description | Collaboration with the Design Council + Starbucks - Pilot Program |
| Organisation | Design Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | This pilot program with Starbucks and the Design Council was aimed at providing workable solutions to participating outlets / premises that have notable and persistent bag theft problems that are a concern for their business. AIMS: ? To introduce DACRC anti-theft furniture (chairs and clips) and their benefits to outlets through a study jointly pursued by DACRC and Design Council. ? To provide the chairs and clips at a chosen venue that has high density of customers, passers-by (where relevant) and others to evaluate user performance of chairs and clips at chosen location. ? To evaluate success rate of chair and clips in crime reduction at chosen venue/s. DESIRED OUTCOMES: ? Crime Rate Reduction at venue relative to background crime trends (ultimate outcome) ? Continued deployment of chairs / clips at venue (intermediate outcome) ? Continued usage by customers of securing function of chairs at venue (intermediate outcome) ? Write up the pilot as a Case Study ? At the end of the pilot, there will be discussions between Starbucks and DACRC as to whether the chairs/clips are to remain installed at the venue. ? When project is complete further consultation will be taken regarding chairs and clips used in the trial. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration with the Design Council + Starbucks - Pilot Program |
| Organisation | Starbucks |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | This pilot program with Starbucks and the Design Council was aimed at providing workable solutions to participating outlets / premises that have notable and persistent bag theft problems that are a concern for their business. AIMS: ? To introduce DACRC anti-theft furniture (chairs and clips) and their benefits to outlets through a study jointly pursued by DACRC and Design Council. ? To provide the chairs and clips at a chosen venue that has high density of customers, passers-by (where relevant) and others to evaluate user performance of chairs and clips at chosen location. ? To evaluate success rate of chair and clips in crime reduction at chosen venue/s. DESIRED OUTCOMES: ? Crime Rate Reduction at venue relative to background crime trends (ultimate outcome) ? Continued deployment of chairs / clips at venue (intermediate outcome) ? Continued usage by customers of securing function of chairs at venue (intermediate outcome) ? Write up the pilot as a Case Study ? At the end of the pilot, there will be discussions between Starbucks and DACRC as to whether the chairs/clips are to remain installed at the venue. ? When project is complete further consultation will be taken regarding chairs and clips used in the trial. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | MA Industrial Design studio project, Central Saint Martins run with Ben Hughes, Gamman, Ekblom and Willcocks to design security clips for bags. |
| Organisation | University of the Arts London |
| Department | Central Saint Martins |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Information taken from Final Report |
| Description | Partnership with SelectaMark Security Systems |
| Organisation | SelectaMark Security Systems PLC |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Non-exclusive distributor of the Grippa Clip. https://www.selectamark.co.uk/handbag-clips/grippa-clip |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | 2012 Design + Crime Conference exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Co-curated design exhibition at the 2012 Design + Crime Conference, University of Technology Sydney. The conference and exhibition brought together professionals and academics from diverse backgrounds to explore new ways of preventing crime, increasing safety and making places functional and friendly. It was structured to deliver design strategies and practical solutions to current, complex situational crime issues and included the Grippa bag clips and Stop Thief Chair developed through this project. We have continued to collaborate with University of Technology Sydney over projects eg ATM (cash machine) crime. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.designandcrime.com/paper-submission.aspx |