Design Challenge
#2: How might we encourage our community to support one another and look out for those who are socially isolated?
Project Description
Given that this pandemic may last for a longer time and people may still need to wear masks when they go outside after the lockdown is over, people’s need of connecting with each other face to face will grow.
A sign stripe that goes behind people’s masks will help people to still connect with each other while obeying social distancing. The sign stripe will be made of white hard paper and people could use pens to write whatever they want on the stripe (for example: need emotional support). The sign stripe will be designed to have special holes so that they can be easily attached to the strings of masks.
People could express their emotions and needs and write that on the sign stripe. So when they go outside, other passersby will spot the words on the sign at the back of their heads.
Criteria #1: Value
This is helpful for special need groups. For example, a young single mom could write “need emotional support”. When passerby see it, they could either direct her to the corresponding responsible center or post it on social media and write the contact information of her so it could get circulated and more people could reach out to her. Moreover, people will snap photos if they see interesting words on the sign (I’m out of beer!) and post it on social media. This has the potential to become an internet sensation.
Thus, without approaching people at the front of their face, which is not safe, people’s needs could be recognized and solved.
Criteria #2: Inspiration
This project will solve the problem of people’s basic psychological needs of expressing themselves in offline settings. The stripes could be easily distributed through community centers, companies and MRT stations. It offers people a chance to be creative in their own way. For people with special needs, they could be heard and seen by more people and increase their chance to be helped.
Criteria #3: Impact
This project will help people in communication and re-foster the vibe of community as people will recognize and understand each other’s needs more easily and clearly when they read the signs. Moreover, when a person helped another person with special needs, he could write “I helped a grandma to buy medicine” on the sign. It encouraged other people who see it to do more positive movements.
The signs will be appealing not only to people who have special needs but also to normal people.
Criteria #4: Timeliness
This project could be launched in the market within one month. It’s easy to implement and cost effective because the material would be simply hard paper.
Criteria #5: Systems Thinking
Since the government already distribute one re-usable mask to each resident, so everyone could have the opportunity to use the stripe. The project will also help people to keep social distance while still supporting one another.
So when people are wearing masks, they could still connect with each other and for those who are socially isolated, their needs will be easily spotted by people and they will get the help they need.
