Case Studies

We aim to build blockchain-based tools, but focusing in Collaborative Economy communities. Besides, we actively aim to embed commons and co-operative perspectives through our work, promoting more collaborative communities. In addition, we combine computer science with both social research and UX methodologies, which gives our prototypes depth and minimizes risk to develop software which won’t respond to community needs, and therefore not used.

We have created a highly interdisciplinary team of researchers with expertise in a broad diversity of areas, including Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology, Gender Theory, Data Science, Computer Science and Design, with advisors adding Economics, Media and Law to the mix.

This extraordinary mix of disciplines also results in a wide mix of research methods, not only using purely academic methods (e.g. quantitative, qualitative), but also using approaches of startups such as Lean Design. Lean Design involves continuous iterations to improve and identify errors as soon as possible. This is combined with Design Thinking, to co-create with communities and imagine solutions that can be implemented and have a real and significant adoption. This interdisciplinary approach maximizes the team diversity and implies multiple challenges in interpersonal communication, while also enriching the collective working methodology, reducing the distance between social and computer scientists.

For the research, we followed an inductive approach. That is, starting with examples, case studies, software prototypes and pilots, and generalizing from the practical experience to more general theories and tools.