Design Challenge
#2: How might we encourage our community to support one another and look out for those who are socially isolated?
Project Description
Stayinghomesg is a directory of weekly 360° videos of familiar Singapore sights and sounds. As we are no longer is able to experience the same level of mobility as before, through capturing and publishing weekly snapshots of Singapore, we aim to provide respite and a sense of normalcy to the public as the nation is urged to stay home. Enabling us to stay home (Singapore) by staying home.
With that as a starting point, we are looking at a 2-prong approach:
1. Aim to build a larger content database built into a meaningful digital directory, that can be easily accessed and studied.
2. Build a community of experts in the fields of physiological and psychological wellbeing acting as a safety net for those in need to overcome mental and emotional trauma from these unprecedented times.
Criteria #1: Value
From our interviews of many Singaporean who have returned and had to serve their mandatory isolation quarantine in confined spaces, many expressed their psychological struggle from the lack of mobility over a prolong duration of isolation. Given that social distancing and stay home orders starting with the Circuit Breaker put in place across the nation, the lack of mobility would mean more people will fall through the cracks of physiological and psychological wellbeing considerations.
Criteria #2: Inspiration
Drawing inspiration from Digital Art Therapy to reduce loneliness and the lack of mobility of elderly people, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) transports the seniors to places they cannot physically travel to, forming engaging perceptions of their mind and body.
We figured to be to the public’s eyes and ears, showing them recent scenes of the country they want to interact with but cannot do so.
Criteria #3: Impact
By having a large directory of familiar sights and sounds, we will be able to provide virtual mobility without people actually moving, and can continue to stay safe at home.
The immersiveness of 360° videos as a medium is to provide the viewers a feeling of control and inspire a sense of discovery and wonder. For many, the mundaneness of moments in our daily lives are truly the most precious when we consider the notion of the ‘home’ we live in, however often overlooked.
Criteria #4: Timeliness
We aim to produce and publish weekly content, with the goal of 3 months to build a substantial wealth of content. From the 3rd to 6th month, we will look to direct our content materials from our public social sites into building an intuitive and interactive site that serves as a meaningful directory that for the public.
Criteria #5: Systems Thinking
At this moment there are very little ground effort and studies that specifically addressing the psychological impact of mass public immobility. Through providing useful and compelling virtual tools that encourages and embraces the idea of staying home, we want this to work in tandem with all the government messages of urging people to keep their social distance and stay home as much as they can.