BrainWaves - Testing our solution for Hybrid Participation
Table of Contents
A Wishlist for the future of Eindhoven
Lessons Learned and Future Directions
The Story Behind BrainWaves
BrainWaves - Results
Last Thursday, February 22nd, we all dove into BrainWaves: a dynamic, hybrid event to discuss Eindhoven's future. This was the first public showcase of Common Ground, the online dialogue platform we developed for Democratic Inputs to AI grant program. Engaging over 50 people in 60 different conversations, we racked up approximately 20 hours of vibrant discussion about the future of Eindhoven, all from the comfort of our couches and kitchen tables, in a single rainy evening.
As a test, the event was a first in the Netherlands, being the very first city-wide dialogue with AI in a facilitating role. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, despite some technical teething problems experienced by many participants. A common sentiment was that people found it interesting and enjoyable to engage in conversations with strangers.
A hypothetical “Wishlist for Eindhoven”
This wish list was created based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis. This means we tallied the votes on the propositions to gauge "support" - and we also qualitatively analysed the conversation transcripts to find quotes that add more depth to the propositions.
Disclaimer
Important to note: In a “real” deliberative event, these results would have to be traceable, reproducible and representative. These results are neither of these!
We have not published the raw data therefore it is not traceable. We do want to publish the data, but it will take a little while to design and validate a system for publishing everything relevant without publishing personal data of the participants.
We have not aimed for reproducibility. This test is a proof of concept an while we are building towards systems with reproducible outcomes, that wasn’t the goal of this test.
50 people - mostly friends of dembrane - took part. This is a special group of people, but in no way representative of Eindhoven as a whole. For that, we would need to work with our partners the Sortition Foundation to select a group of 100+ people via two step stratified random sampling.
The images are from around and near Eindhoven or generated with Mid-journey. The quotes were translated from Dutch but aim to preserve the character of the originals.
For completeness, here are the top ten most accepted statements.
| Statements | Eens | Oneens | Niet relevant |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Woningen moeten betaalbaarder worden om de oververhitting van de huizenmarkt tegen te gaan." | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| "Ik zou graag een AI bij de gemeente hebben die mij helpt met het snel vinden van de juiste informatie en diensten." | 16 | 5 | 1 |
| "De gemeente moet maatregelen nemen om lichtvervuiling tegen te gaan." | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| "Jongeren moeten kunnen deelnemen aan besluitvormingsprocessen in hun stad of gemeente." | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| "Het zou vet zijn om meer natuur toegankelijk te maken in de stad voor recreatie." | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| "Gemeenten moeten bedrijven stimuleren om bij te dragen aan de lokale gemeenschap." | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| "De bibliotheek moet mensen meer kansen bieden om te leren over technologie en programmeren." | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| "Woningen moeten meer betaalbaar worden." | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| "De gemeente kan openbaar vervoer promoten en parkeerkosten verhogen om het autogebruik te verminderen." | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| "De basisvoorwaarde voor het realiseren van de '15-minuten stad' is het creëren van voldoende en diverse openbare ruimtes." | 9 | 0 | 7 |
Wish 1: Explore further options to address the housing shortage
"A big fact is, of course, that there simply aren't enough houses, so the overheated housing market won't be solved just by making all the houses suddenly cheaper."
"I want a collaboration between homeowners and real estate investors. Less on a corporate level, more on a facilitating level, like a housing association, a foundation, or a cooperative.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statement | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing needs to become more affordable to counter the overheating of the housing market. | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Housing should become more affordable. | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Wish 2: Find a balance between being “Light City” and combating light pollution
"But yeah, light pollution, so you can't see the stars, that's a shame.”
"It's definitely a hallmark of Eindhoven, but yeah, [...] there should also be limits, like having the lights go out at certain hours.”
"it shouldn't come at the expense of safety”
"And have you ever felt the urge to shoot that light?”
"I don't know, I think [it's cool] that there's a lot of light. But, yeah, if you say it's harming the environment...”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Stelling | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "De gemeente moet maatregelen nemen om lichtvervuiling tegen te gaan." | 14 | 2 | 4 |
Wish 3: Use AI to Strengthen the Bridge Between Citizens and Civil Servants
"What they could also do is use AI to make that website clearer, focusing less on symptom management and more on tackling the problem.”
"Yeah, see, my point is that citizens are already at a disadvantage compared to the municipality and civil servants. […] as a citizen, you only find out three years later which words you should have used three years ago when you submitted an application. If AI could help you make that translation right away, getting involved in politics would become much easier.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statements | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "I'd love to have an AI at the municipality that helps me quickly find the right information and services.” | 16 | 5 | 1 |
Wish 4: Addressing the Deterioration of Public Transportation
"Well, at the end of the day, it's up to the municipality to deploy our drivers, because it all gets left to the transportation company anyway." "Yeah, right now, that's the main reason why bus service has been scaled back so much in Eindhoven.”
"It would be nice if there were a night service available.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statements | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The municipality can promote public transport and increase parking fees to reduce car dependence.” | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Wish 5: Accessible green spaces as the norm, not the exception.
"It's all concrete, and then they say they're adding a few spots of greenery. But it's already so dominated by concrete. In a way, that old Philips character, I suppose, is also what gives it its charm.”
"Having a large new park is great, but green is more than just having a big park near Strijp-S.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statements | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Het zou vet zijn om meer natuur toegankelijk te maken in de stad voor recreatie." | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| "De basisvoorwaarde voor het realiseren van de '15-minuten stad' is het creëren van voldoende en diverse openbare ruimtes." | 9 | 0 | 7 |
Wish 6: Engage Young People in Decision Making
"When we have community engagement meetings in neighborhoods, there's a lot of talk about young people. But never with them. And quite often, it's in a negative light. Yet, if you involve young people, they often have incredibly good ideas, and I believe they would be the last ones to ruin anything.”
"Often, most people, organizations, struggle with reaching out to young people. How do you engage them? And how do you think with them? That definitely requires a different approach than what you'd use with the average person from Eindhoven, I believe.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statements | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Young people should be able to participate in decision-making processes in their city or municipality.” | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Wish 7: Support non-commercial, communal public spaces
"... I find it more appealing if every neighbourhood has such places, rather than always having to need to spend money.”
"I think it's a really interesting thought because I believe, you can't just consume in a city. Because if everyone does that, then you don't really have a city. You also need to participate.”
Relevant Statements with Votes
| Statements | Agree | Disagree | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Municipalities should encourage businesses to contribute to the local community.” | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| "The library should offer more opportunities for people to learn about technology and programming.” | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| "Every neighborhood should have a modern meeting place to foster social interaction.” | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Thank You for Making This Experiment Possible
Firstly, our thanks to our direct partners. Your work enabled us to create a world first! Thank you Lei, CeesJan, and Rolf. Also, our gratitude to Dynamo for providing the location and to Fontys for enabling student sessions to gather statements.
Lastly, our thanks to all the participants! Last Thursday, you pioneered the Netherlands' first city-wide discussion through AI. Your feedback is incredibly valuable! We do want to apologise for inconsistencies in both the communication, and the app itself (we are reminded once again that we are a tech startup, not an event organizer). Therefore, it's wonderful to read that, despite this, most of you had a positive experience and definitely see the potential in the platform.
We couldn't wait and have already started working hard to make complex conversations concrete on a large scale. On our way to a world where every community has the opportunity to engage in substantive conversations that connect and enable collective action.
The dembrane Team
People know how
Lessons Learned and Future Directions
Participant experiences
We measured the participant experience in two ways, via an analysis of the transcripts and, to compare, with a feedback form. This means we have two kinds of results: insights into the participant experience AND a comparison between our method and a standard survey. Despite many experiencing technical issues, the vast majority reported having a pleasant experience. People mentioned enjoying meeting others and hearing their ideas.
Did you enjoy yourself?
"Do you think this platform can be used for a substantive city-wide discussion?”
Quotes from the feedback form
"I found it a pleasant experience. It was nice to be able to contribute and be heard as a resident of Eindhoven in this way. The atmosphere in the conversations was relaxed and people were open to hearing different perspectives.”
"I didn't know what to expect before the experiment, but as it progressed, I began to understand how the system works. The statements became more refined, and I noticed they provided good input for a meaningful conversation. Really impressive work and it can only get better!”
"This form of communication, with AI interventions providing suggestions, ideas, and potential solutions, could become very important in 'connecting' people and also in making discussions more accessible to everyone.”
Roadmap
This demo and public text showed us what's possible: 60 different conversations distilled into an insight understandable to everyone!
Teething problems are inevitable in a first test, and there were certainly some present. For instance, there were various audio issues, and there was criticism of the app’s design and the consistency of the AI moderator.
We fully analysed the feedback from both the form and the conversations themselves and interestingly, there were no problems mentioned in the feedback form that weren't already evident from the conversations. Furthermore, points 3. Conversation Process and 6. Accessibility and Inclusivity were not mentioned in the feedback form. This goes to show that our process is more context rich than a traditional survey and that you learn the most by bringing people together and allowing them to speak freely, not by sending limited surveys. People Know How!
We have listed the most frequently mentioned issues, along with the conversations in which these problems were encountered and steps we will take.
1. Technical Problems with Video Calls and Sound Quality
Discussed in conversations: 8, 17, 23, 27, 40, 47, 52, 57
In these conversations, there are frequent reports of issues with video calling software, sound clarity, and related technical problems that hinder smooth communication.
Steps forward:
Implementing an audio and video quality control mechanism.
Improving audio and video controls for participants.
2. Clarity and usability of the interface
Discussed in conversations: 17, 23, 25, 40, 44, 47
Participants expressed a need for clearer instructions on how the application works, better visibility of the statements, and improvements in the user interface to clearly see all participants.
Steps forward:
Redesign of the conversation screen
Clear explanation of the application beforehand
3. Sub-optimal conversation flow
Discussed in conversations: 8, 23, 48, 52
These discussions focused on the flow of the conversations. Opinions varied.
Steps forward:
More control for participants over the time spent on each proposition.
Implement a mechanism to suggest counterarguments.
4. AI Improvements and Statement Generation
Discussed in conversations: 23, 25, 44, 48, 52, 57
Participants extensively discussed the role of AI in generating statements and moderating discussions, with mixed opinions. A common point was that the generated statements were often a bit vague.
Steps forward:
Generation of simpler statements in clearer language.
More control for participants over the generated statements.
5. Engagement and Participation
Discussed in conversations: 23, 27, 44, 47, 48
The focus is on improving participant engagement and interaction, with suggestions for better notification systems, ensuring inclusivity, and facilitating a more natural conversation dynamic.
Steps forward:
Adding nicknames to videos so people can be addressed.
Improving the timing of the AI moderator to follow and not interrupt the flow of the conversation.
6. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Discussed in conversations: 17, 23, 27
Discussions about making brainstorming sessions more accessible to people with various needs, including those who can't easily leave their homes and ensuring youth participation.
Steps forward:
Making the app more accessible for people less comfortable with technology, and ultimately a hybrid solution where offline participation is possible.
Ensuring consistency in the app's language, making sure it is clear and free of jargon.
7. Efficiency of the event
Discussed in conversations: 40, 44, 57
There were comments on the efficiency of the event as a whole. For example, the queue was sometimes found to be too long, and there was a high chance of participants repeatedly ending up with the same conversation partners.
Steps forward:
Providing activity in the queue: mini-games!
Ensuring that people can quickly enter conversations with new people.
Want to explore the options to collaborate?
Email us here It’s busy! but we strive to respond within a week
Email usThe story behind Brainwaves
You've probably been to a meeting, conference, a brainstorm session, you may have heard someone say these words when heading off to the bar or the coffee stand:
"That's where the best conversations happen anyway."
It's in these chance encounters and conversations between people that some of the most exciting things can happen. It is in these unexpected, serendipitous moments that so much value can be found and that's one of the initial flashes of inspiration for why we founded dembrane: We wondered:
Can we build a system that captures the water cooler conversation, that captures the ‘coffee machine’ conversation, where people just say what's on their mind?
Why would we want to do that?
Society is in the middle of an enormous transition. We need to start making epic plans and we need to start gearing up the transitions that will change the way we live, that will change our culture, that will change our way of working - and we can try and do that in a top-down way - we all have a feeling for how that ends (badly). We can also try engaging with people with surveys, focus groups and co-creation and we all know how hard that is.
That's why dembrane is building systems that help communities get smarter as they get larger, by just letting the conversation happen and really listening to people. Our system identifies which ideas have popular support, we can elevate those ideas and bring them back to the community in an open way.
It's so common in stakeholder engagement processes, especially with the general public, that there's an intense lack of trust. And it's often because there's just a lack of transparency and openness because there are conflicting needs. On the one hand, our human needs for community and the willingness to improvise something that feels good, versus the legal stipulations, quality control and financial constraints that reduce risk, keep us safe and keep us financially responsible.
We need to start having more open conversations about these things if we don't want to exacerbate the us versus them dichotomy between those making the decisions and those affected by them. That's clear. That's why we are building what we are building.
The obstacle is the way
Waiting until the software you’re building is “ready” before you put it out into the world robs you of many surprising benefits. That’s why we embrace the fact that we're still evolving. Transparency is key to us – acknowledging where we are and where we aim to be.
Our recent test event, 'Brainwaves' in Eindhoven, was a testament to this open, free dialogue. People connected, conversed, and shared but our system also highlighted disappointments, design flaws and areas for growth. For one, video calling technology still needs to fully mature. We envision a platform where everyone can easily connect, but we're not there yet. Technical glitches – cameras not working, “I can’t hear you, can you hear me?” – are annoyances if you deal with them often, but huge barriers if you’re less familiar with these tools. We need to overcome them not just as dembrane but as the digital communication community at large.
It's clear that there's immense potential in a platform like dembrane. We hope our report – showcasing the top 7 most supported ideas, along with our technical roadmap – gives you a sense of what could be.