Empowering local youth through a community-oriented digital and physical platform for activities
In Sweden, 1 in 4 people are foreign-born, which creates communication challenges in the culturally diverse communities on the outskirts of major cities.
In partnership with Linköping Municipality, I led a team to empower young people to discover and organise activities, fostering a sense of community with a solution that bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds.
Service Design Studio at Linköping University
Create a solution to increase engagement and accessibility to local activities for various target groups, making it easier for them to connect with relevant information and participate effectively.
Boosted community engagement among Linköping's youth by empowering them to organise events, integrating physical boards with a website and mobile app, and fostering trust and collaboration among local organisers and youth.
The Birding project was initiated as part of a challenge presented by Linköping Municipality, specifically the Area Team responsible for areas like Skäggetorp, Ryd, and Berga—neighbourhoods rich in cultural diversity.
The Area Team works to create safe environments and engage residents in activities organised by public and private organisations. These activities aim to prevent crime among people under 18.
The challenge was multifaceted:
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Illustrating engagement and insights through storybraid, stakeholder mapping, storyboards, and service ecology
To understand the challenges and opportunities that teenagers and young adults face when trying to engage with the community, I coordinated:
We gathered insights into their preferences, needs, and pain points.
We identified a breakdown in communication among community organisers. Despite numerous activities taking place, information was not reaching the youth effectively. It became clear that a centralised platform was necessary to unite stakeholders and efficiently engage young people.
Through brainstorming sessions that I facilitated, I encouraged the team to think beyond technocentric solutions and explore creative concepts that bridged the physical and digital worlds. By fostering an open environment for idea generation,my goal was to ensure that the focus remained on creating meaningful community impact.
Brainstorming process for the Birding project, captured through collaborative sticky note sessions
A hybrid physical and digital system that brings together information about current teen-friendly activities in specific areas. It makes it intuitive for teenagers to stay up to date and for organisers to reach a wider audience.
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A mobile app that enables users to directly organise events. It centralises information about activities, making it easier for teenagers to request events without needing to know the organisers.
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A physical method of distributing information via weekly newsletters, improving reachability. This concept focuses on making information accessible, especially to those not digitally active or proficient in Swedish.
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Concept Space for the Birding Project: Exploring Key Focus Areas
Out of the various ideas, the Birding concept emerged as the most promising. It involved creating a digital and physical platform to consolidate event information and provide young people with tools to organise activities, leveraging technology while maintaining a physical presence.
We created a storyboard film to illustrate how users would interact with the platform. This dynamic representation allowed us to visualise the concept in action and make necessary adjustments.
The physical board design evolved through iterations, thanks to Junyu He’s skillful sketches and prototypes, transforming simple displays into engaging touchpoints.
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I led the development of customer journey maps to deeply understand how users would interact with the Birding platform, both emotionally and physically. These maps provided valuable insights into the user experience and informed critical design decisions.
The final concept introduces a dynamic, community-driven bulletin board that bridges the physical and digital realms, fostering local youth engagement. Consisting of a dual-faced platform—a physical bulletin board for real-world presence and a digital interface accessible via a website and mobile app—our prototype addresses the challenges we identified.
Visualizing the ecosystem of the hybrid board, connecting teenagers, facilitators, and digital resources
Our physical touchpoint embodies community spirit and serves several vital functions:
Final Prototype Design of the Hybrid Board
Digital platform designs for Birding
The project was not without its challenges. Uncertainties regarding the concept's real-world feasibility and the need for further research were notable obstacles. However, these challenges highlighted the importance of continuous assessment and adaptation in design projects.
The project was pivotal in building trust, collaboration, and community among local organisers and young people.
By seamlessly integrating physical and digital elements, the project showcased how innovation can address real-world challenges.
The client initially had preconceived notions of the optimal solution. Through stakeholder research, we uncovered user insights that challenged these assumptions.
Collaborating with an engineering-focused group favoured a tech-centric mindset. By embracing a more inclusive approach and valuing diverse perspectives, we developed a better solution.
