Drawing the Ring of Steel: Mobile Application Conceptualization and Design

The Ring of Steel project originated from a 2019 workshop that explored the memory and meaning of Belfast City Centre. The workshop aimed to address the remembrance of the Troubles era in Belfast and methods for collectively marking the conflict's legacy. Among the participants, the process of entering the Ring of Steel, a security cordon that encircled the city center during the period, was particularly noteworthy. We launched this project for younger generations and people with no experience with the Ring of Steel, who live far away from the past and find it challenging to understand the context and appreciate the journey that has been made. We aim to use multiple approaches to explore the traces of the barricades still visible and the intangible legacy of the security cordon's impact on our collective history. These methods include providing accessible and comprehensive digital information to those unfamiliar with Belfast and the Northern Ireland conflict, incorporating user-centered design methodologies to engage more people in the history of Belfast through a high-fidelity interactive mobile application prototype, and using digital archival strategies to manage, preserve, and present records.