On the road
Harrow Road Pop-Up Branch
Client: Internal (Project Imagine)
Role: Live-in researcher!
A partnership with Westminster Council, our Harrow Road pop-up branch was an in-community research space designed to explore the role of bank-branches on local communities and small businesses. The project tested how a “community branch” model could support financial inclusion and local regeneration.
TIME
2019
LOCATION
Harrow Road, Westminster
TEAM
Katja Lichtenstein (Smart distribution)
The space
The Dozens pop-up branch ran for four months in 2019. It was sited in Maida Hill Place a previously neglected corner of Westminster. Our space was in a community building and ironically opposite an old boarded up bank branch. The opportunity to get involved came about through Westminster Council who were in the process of developing a neighbourhood plan. There was crossover in the research they needed and things we were looking at so we were lucky enough to be able to collaborate and support their work.
The community
The pop-up involved various local stakeholders. As well as Westminster council and also liaised with local community groups (e.g. Community Health Champions, Residents Association, Maida Hill Forum), and built relationships with local characters.
Research activities
Our approach to engagement was typically agile, in that it constantly responded to findings at early events, to spatial and budget constraints, as well as to discussions with WCC.
Questionnaires
Together with WCC we designed surveys for both residents and businesses to collect feedback and ideas from the community. These were handed out during the events we organised and also up and down Harrow Road.
Events
We used events as a platform to engage with and learn from the community. Events ranged from co-creation sessions for future bank branches to education sessions on digital skills and finance. The smaller events were held at our space in Maida Hill Place, the larger events were hosted in venues along Harrow Road – such as Paddington arts and London Print Studio. We recruited participants for the events from the local area through posters, and digital recruitment via Facebook and Eventbrite.
Interviews
When people were willing we filmed interviews. This enabled them to feel like they’re really being given a platform and also provided content that we can use to provoke further discussion. We also conducted and filmed interviews with local business owners on Harrow Road. It allowed us to gather qualitative data.
Informal chats
The more time spent spent in the space, the more trust we gained amongst locals, business owners and other stakeholders and many of our greatest insights were through these informal conversations. While these are not recorded - to retain spontaneity and openness, we made notes immediately after each.
My role
Directed the research programme and curated the public space. Designed and facilitated workshops, interviews, and prototyping sessions with residents and traders. Became the face of the project for the community (even moved in locally!), feeding insights back into both the Dozens product team and Westminster Council placeshaping team. Worked closely with Katja Lichtenstein, who brought deep expertise in placeshaping.
Outcomes
We presented a range of insights and suggested actions to Westminster council which contributed to their neighbourhood plan for the area.
For Dozens, the insights influenced business strategy (role of human presence and physical spaces), app design (for business banking and budgeting), and financial education content.
The research project established Dozens’ reputation for socially-grounded innovation and contributed to Dozens becoming a finalist for the UK’s BCR Capability and Innovation Fund in business banking.