As part of the SMOTIES project, the “Moodmeter” was deployed at the Festival “Frischer Wind” in Oberzeiring, Austria, in May 2024. This event took place in the market square, which is typically a space for traffic and parking cars but was transformed into a car-free area during the festival, creating a different spatial experience for attendees. The key objective of the Moodmeter was to capture the public’s emotional responses to the transformed urban space, using a simple and accessible tool.
The Moodmeter was designed with a familiar interface, similar to systems found in retail environments. Its low-barrier design aimed to ensure ease of use, allowing festival participants to record their impressions effortlessly. The interface, framed in a striking orange CI-compliant form, presented four simple options—very good, good, neutral, and bad—encouraging users to document their feelings about the space. The interface was implemented via an iPadOS app, which stored all responses locally on the device, ensuring data security.
During the festival, the Moodmeter operated smoothly and was well-received by participants. The recognizable interface and intuitive design required no explanation. To prevent repeated or incorrect entries, timestamps were attached to each vote, allowing for data filtering during post-event analysis. The feedback collected showed positive results: 68 people rated the space as “very good,” while only seven expressed dissatisfaction, reflecting an overwhelmingly favorable reception to the temporary urban transformation.
One of the significant takeaways was the ease of implementing a digital survey tool in a public setting. While challenges such as weather resistance and theft protection were noted for potential longer-term deployments, these factors were less relevant for the short-term use during the festival. Despite a few logistical concerns, such as the need for power sources and physical security, the Moodmeter proved to be a practical and effective way of measuring public sentiment in real time, offering valuable insights into community’s perception of urban interventions in small and remote places.