Design Challenge
#2: How might we encourage our community to support one another and look out for those who are socially isolated?
Project Description
Geotalk enables people in a local area to talk to each other or send out requests for assistance for the elderly. The chatrooms and requests are all based around geofencing to give a better feel of a local community – whether you are at the mall or at home, you can talk to people that are in the vicinity.
Criteria #1: Value
There are two target audiences – the general public, and those needing assistance. The general public in an area would be able to talk and discuss local happenings or just get to know their neighbors through a chat space. Assistance can also be requested that has a farther reach than the regular public chatrooms to inform more people.
Criteria #2: Inspiration
This app is based on geofencing – so a user may join the chatrooms of a neighborhood or mall they are visiting, but once they leave the area access to the chatroom is lost. The idea is to really give in to nearby people connecting, while at the same time mimicking real-life interactions where even if you don’t live in the area but are visiting you may still interact with locals.
Criteria #3: Impact
The app would enable neighbors to know their neighbors, but also build empathy with those around them that need something or have a request which they are unable to fulfill themselves.
Criteria #4: Timeliness
I believe it is possible to get a version of the application released within the next 3-6 months.
Criteria #5: Systems Thinking
This application not only supports the current issues by keeping neighbors notified, but enables everyone to be a part of the solution, whether that’s COVID-19 or something else in the future. This application can also help support government agencies by allowing messages to be sent in targeted areas alerting of dangers, wildlife, new outbreaks or whatever the alert may be.