Project name:
Safe Haven | Service Duration: January to March 2017 at Division of Industrial Design (DID) Overview: Design for Children from Vulnerable Families; in collaboration with Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre (AMKFSC) Team: With Milly Tan and Kelvin Siew Role: Ethnographic Research, Design Probes, User Tests, Rapid Prototypes |
Background
Children from vulnerable families are deprived of many learning opportunities and exposed to various hazards after their school time. Therefore, Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre (AMKFSC) is set to provide care for unsupervised children between 7 to 14 years old.
Overview
This project in collaboration with AMKFSC was to design new services, tools and activities for children's learning and social development. Through several interactions with the children, families and educators, prototypes were designed to fulfil the needs of various stakeholders.
Research Process and Findings
To better understand our various stakeholders - AMFSC educators and children at a deeper level, our team spent the first few weeks in conducting situational analysis of centre and interviews with them.
Children from vulnerable families are deprived of many learning opportunities and exposed to various hazards after their school time. Therefore, Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre (AMKFSC) is set to provide care for unsupervised children between 7 to 14 years old.
Overview
This project in collaboration with AMKFSC was to design new services, tools and activities for children's learning and social development. Through several interactions with the children, families and educators, prototypes were designed to fulfil the needs of various stakeholders.
Research Process and Findings
To better understand our various stakeholders - AMFSC educators and children at a deeper level, our team spent the first few weeks in conducting situational analysis of centre and interviews with them.
Our team felt that is hard to facilitate an open communication with the children, especially on sensitive topics like their family and personal emotions. Hence, we decided to create design probe in a storytelling method in achieve greater engagement with the children; by drawing and writing down their feelings in the "Story of Me" booklet specially designed by our team.
Insights and Analysis
After the workshop, we pen down our various observations and findings gained from both - the workshop and interviews and consolidated into an affinity diagram.
After the workshop, we pen down our various observations and findings gained from both - the workshop and interviews and consolidated into an affinity diagram.
Our key findings were:
Concept Framework and Implementation
The centre can provide the intervention platform to aid children to better manage their emotions through recognition, expression and translation.
- Need for Quiet Space
- Lack of avenue to express emotions
Concept Framework and Implementation
The centre can provide the intervention platform to aid children to better manage their emotions through recognition, expression and translation.
Idea: Safe Haven
Safe Haven serves a low cost, intervention platform to aid children to better manage their emotions through recognition, expression and translation. The enclosed environment allows for better expression without fear of judgement, providing emotional stability. When the child draws open the curtain, it signifies the willingness for interaction. Interactive mediums are provided to aid educators in understanding the child's expression and translation of emotions, most of which are commonly carried out by child therapists.
Safe Haven framework is highly scalable and can be adopted by any agency or school, targeting children from a young age so that they can be emotionally independent in the future.
Safe Haven serves a low cost, intervention platform to aid children to better manage their emotions through recognition, expression and translation. The enclosed environment allows for better expression without fear of judgement, providing emotional stability. When the child draws open the curtain, it signifies the willingness for interaction. Interactive mediums are provided to aid educators in understanding the child's expression and translation of emotions, most of which are commonly carried out by child therapists.
Safe Haven framework is highly scalable and can be adopted by any agency or school, targeting children from a young age so that they can be emotionally independent in the future.
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Conclusion
After weeks of interacting with the children and educators, our team felt there is this inexplicable bond formed. It was a humbling experience for the team throughout this project as we can constantly feel their inner passion, creativity and optimism in life. We start feeling young again!
Points of Improvement
The project ended off on a good note and the educators felt that Safe Haven act as a communication medium for them to better understand the children's emotions. If given more time, our team do feel that the project can be better improve by:
To view SafeHaven video, click here!
Team
Designers - Kelvin Siew, Milly Tan & Hayley Han
Video Producer (Premiere Pro) - Kelvin Siew
Photographer - Milly Tan
After weeks of interacting with the children and educators, our team felt there is this inexplicable bond formed. It was a humbling experience for the team throughout this project as we can constantly feel their inner passion, creativity and optimism in life. We start feeling young again!
Points of Improvement
The project ended off on a good note and the educators felt that Safe Haven act as a communication medium for them to better understand the children's emotions. If given more time, our team do feel that the project can be better improve by:
- Designing an educational guide for facilitators for easy implementation of Safe Haven in any context
- Push the project further into the global educational market for the benefits of all children
To view SafeHaven video, click here!
Team
Designers - Kelvin Siew, Milly Tan & Hayley Han
Video Producer (Premiere Pro) - Kelvin Siew
Photographer - Milly Tan