A presentation slide for ServDes 2012 conference in Espoo, Helsinki. My reflection on engaging with homeless people during co-design practice at Homeless SMS.

1. Co-designing an SMS service for
London’s homeless
Ohyoon Kwon, Annemiek van Boejien
t:@ohyoonkwn
1

2. This presentation will talk
about how designers can
collaborate with a vulnerable
user group and their
supportive service delivery
organizations.

4. Homeless
people
Homeless people have a variety of complex problems.
Varying accommodation status and levels of habituation.
They are hard to reach to provide right supports.

5. Homeless
Service
Providers
http://hoffman.photoshelter.com/image/I0000.Kp.jl._edE coalitionforthehomeless.org
Each service environment has its own policies that regulate
the accessibilities and behaviors of the homeless users

6. Designers
Adapted from four types of co-design practice (Mattelmäki&SleeswijkVisser, 2011)
Use of various techniques/ activities to involve intended
users into a design process

7. Inside Homeless Service
people providers
How can designers engage
with related parties and co-
Outside design a service?
Through performing a variety of
activities such as
research, workshops, prototyping and
testing services, evaluation…
Designers

8. Two approaches to co-
operate with the homeless
and service providers.

9. Homeless Service Service
people providers providers
Designers
Homeless
Designers
people
Designers become Homeless people are
insiders invited to the outside

10. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess
Application of the ‘in/outside approach’ to the ‘Double
Diamond’ design process of an actual service design case

11. Case:subtitle
Section Homeless SMS
Development of an SMS service for London’s homeless

12. Most homeless people in London own a (simple
type of ) mobile phone

13. For us these are everyday media, but for some
it is uncomfortable and unusual.

14. Service
providers
Other homeless/ ex-
homeless people
Outside
world
This is social mediain a ‘homeless’ context

15. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess
Discover:
User Research

16. Designers become
insiders, by volunteering in Homeless
people
Service
providers
their environments.
Designers
+
Conduct observation research
Build empathy with users
Establish trusting relationships
_
Invest substantial time & energy
Risk of being burn out because of
confronting users’ difficult lives

17. The results of the research. A close look at the life of a
homeless person

18. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess
Define:
Conceptualization
Workshop

19. The homeless are invited to
the outside, by participating Service
providers
in workshops facilitated by
designers.
+
Create a setup that participants
can actively exchange ideas
Dramatically increase
participants’ understanding on the
project
Homeless Designers
_ people
It may infringe regulations of
service providers

20. A workshop with homeless participants, volunteers, service
providers and designers.

21. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess
Develop:
Service
prototyping

22. A service concept is co-
developed with five engaged Service
providers
participants through running
prototype services using
their mobile phones.
• Participants were supported by
providing them a pre-paid SIM,
unlimited SMS
• 1 person stopped using the
service after 2 weeks Homeless Designers
people
• 3 participants became core-
users

24. Information packages were provided explaining how to use
the service.

27. Participants were involved in several user feedback
sessions

28. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess
Deliver:
Implementation

29. The consolidated service
was brought into a homeless Homeless
people
Service
providers
day centre. Tested with 25+
clients.
Designers
• Worked in the day centre
building during service hours
• Restrictions with engagement
with participants
• Participants got incentive of a
lunch voucher (£2)
• One employee played an
integral role

30. http://urmsg.wordpress.com/
The day centre starts a new service ‘UR_msg’ from this
January

31. Inside Outside Outside Inside
Discover: Define: Develop: Deliver:
User Research Conceptualization Service prototyping Implementation
Workshop

32. Homeless Service
people providers
In-outside approach
‘Double Act’ Tithcn and Binnie (1992)
Designers need to be aware
about the extent of
engagement with the
participation of homeless, both Designers
inside and outside their
environments.

33. Ethical Issues 1
Dual roles are not always
transparent to participants as
well as to organizations
e.g. a friendly relationship established as an
insider (volunteer) unintentionally is being
instrumented for the design project.

34. Ethical Issues 2
Prototype services are real
interventions to people’s
routine
“How come there’s not any smsmsgs; not even
weather forecast?”
A text message from a participant

35. Ethical Issues 3
The Contribution of
participants is difficult to
reward.
Providing a lunch voucher is (£2) not sufficient

36. Possibilities for designers
1. Allow participants to have
ownership of the project.
The ladder of citizen participation,
Arnstein (1969)

37. Possibilities for designers
2. Consider participants’
abilities and gradually
increase the level of
engagement
co-production
agreement on
mistrust participation contribution