Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In this topic, we have compiled a set of Frequently Asked Questions.

Q: When should I consider a tool like Geodesignhub?

Geodesignhub is a flexible decision making / management support tool that is used to facilitate mediation and negotiations. It has a very strong geographic component to it so it is best used for facilitating negotiations over a location / place. If you need mediation or want to develop a consensus around a complex problem about future management you can consider Geodesignhub.

We provide a method to facilitate structured negotiations and then help with analysis and implementation of negotiated outcomes. We and our partners provide personnel and staff to help you with problems in the context of:

  • Mobility / Transport
  • Public administration
  • Economic Development
  • Environmental / Land / Marine management
  • Community Engagement
  • Inter departmental co-ordination
  • Infrastructure development
  • Tourism

Q: What are the different support and training options available for a project?

We offer comprehensive support and training for your organization and project. Please review the different support packages and also the geodesign training courses available for you.

Q: What sort of data and data preparation is required for a project?

Geodesignhub is a digital tool that is compatible with existing geo-data and technologies. For most of the projects, we will use your existing data or use already available open data. We can use a lot of data as-is for other cases we work with you to build a dataset.

Q: How long does it take to setup a project?

Generally four weeks although in some cases it can be less. We generally recommend six weeks as a good enough time from start to setting up the project.

Q: What is the range of scale of the study area in a project?

Geodesignhub has been used to study extremely large (multi county) and very small sites (individual lots / sites), so it accommodates any scale. The data considerations are different at these scales.

Q: What is the general structure of a project?

The data prep takes about four weeks or less, we generally use our sister tool geoforage.io to organize data preparations. After the data prep is complete, we recommend that people spend at the minimum 6 - 8 hours with the software. This is done by in-person or online meetings with maximum 50 people in them. The meetings focus on facilitating negotiations and there is a post-negotiation component of analysis and reports.

Q: What are the outputs of a Geodesignhub project? Who can use it and how is it used?

All data in a Geodesighub project can be taken out in the form of a Geopackage or GeoJSON, there are plugins to enable export to other formats for use in software like AutoCAD, Rhino and Grasshopper.

Q: Are there videos about Geodesignhub user interface?

Yes, please find a video playlist about this on YouTube.

Q: What are the technical requirements for the software?

A broadband internet connection, a recent (later than 2012) laptop with Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome should suffice.

Q: Where can I get trained to conduct, organize or participate in a workshop?

If you want to experience Geodesignhub and try it out, you can attend a workshop, we are at most major conferences and taught in universities. We can provide training and workshops for your organization, please review our training page. Usually we are present every year in leading conferences including Geodesign Summit Europe and Digital Landscape Architecture. In addition we conduct introductory webinars every month, you can register your interest on the webinar page.