Designing for Social Impact
For my final thesis at Syracuse University, I chose to focus on humanitarian design and designing for those displaced from their homes. As a designer, I understood how vital it was to work directly with those whom you are designing for – which is why I joined Startupboat (a mobile think tank that tackled issues of migration) and traveled to a refugee camp/hotspot in Samos, Greece to conduct ethnographic research on ground and run collaborative design sessions with refugees. With the research findings gained, I presented insights to our corporate partners to prototype and develop products/services with them. I was also given the opportunity to share my experience and learnings at conferences such as UNICEF’s NLG EdTech in Amman, Jordan and SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas.
MY ROLE
As the only designer at Startupboat, I led all design activities – from facilitating primary interviews, conducting secondary research, co-creating solutions with refugees and asylum seekers to refining ideas with the team and local NGOs.
What is humanitarian assistance?
“Humanitarian assistance is intended to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crises and disasters caused by natural hazards, as well as to prevent and strengthen preparedness for when such situations occur. Humanitarian assistance should be governed by the key humanitarian principles of: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence” (Global Humanitarian Assistance Development Initiative).
How did it start?
Humanitarian aid can be traced all the way back to the 16th century when beggars appeared in the town of Troyes, France. The beggars came starving and clothed in rags as vermin and fleas covered their bodies. Fearing ‘sedition’ might spread, the rich citizens of the town came up with a resolution- move them outside of town. In the late 19th century, organized international humanitarian aid began to form. In 1950, the second World War left nations torn apart with refugees fleeing their homelands, more than one million of them. Countries needed help and the crisis needed coordination. “Throughout the 20th century, the international community steadily assembled a set of guidelines, laws and conventions to ensure the adequate treatment of refugees and protect their human rights. The process began under the League of Nations in 1921. In July 1951, a diplomatic conference in Geneva adopted the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (‘1951 Convention’), which was later amended by the 1967 Protocol. These documents clearly spell out the definition of a refugee and the kind of legal protection, and other assistance and social rights a refugee is entitled to receive. It also defines a refugee’s obligations to host countries and specifies certain categories of people, such as war criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status. Initially, the 1951 Convention was more or less limited to protecting European refugees in the aftermath of World WarII, but the 1967 Protocol expanded its scope as the problem of displacement spread around the world” (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees- UNHCR).
Development of Global Issues
In 1956, Hungarians rose up against Soviet occupation and were crushed. Two hundred thousand people fled their country- UNHCR’s first emergency. In 1960, decolonization and wars in Africa forced hundred of thousands to flee. Refugees were no longer a post World War European issue, it could be found across the world. So the legal foundation guiding the UNHCR’s work changed in the 1967 New UNHCR Protocol to have global responsibility for refugees. In the 1970s, the spotlight of conflict shone on Latin America and Asia. In the 1980s and 1990s, new wars erupted in Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe causing the number of those in need to spiral upwards in Lebanon, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Uganda.
The 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees
“The 1951 Refugee Convention is the key legal document that forms the basis of our work. Ratified by 145 State parties, it defines the term ‘refugee’ and outlines the rights of the displaced, as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them... It defines a refugee as a person who is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well founded fear of being persecuted because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail him—or herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution...Initially, the 1951 Convention was more or less limited to protecting European refugees in the aftermath of World WarII, but the 1967 Protocol expanded its scope as the problem of displacement spread around the world. Today, the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol together remain the cornerstone of refugee protection, and their provisions are as relevant now as when they were drafted” (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees- UNHCR).
Visiting Samos Refugee Camp/Hotspot with Startupboat
Why? To further develop my research, I spent two weeks fully immersed in the environment and with the people that I am designing for - a refugee camp/registration and identification center ('hotspot') in Samos, a Greek island 1km from the Turkish borders. Not every refugee context is identical, and so in choosing design ideas and solutions, we need to consider what is appropriate for that specific context. 'Nothing about us, without us' mindset.
Content: This hotspot/camp is located in the main city of Samos called Vathy, where the minimum stay is about 25days, but some refugees have faced immensely long waiting periods of up to a year. It is meant to be a transitional reception center where refugees are either sent to the refugee camp in Athens, or forced back to their home country (in many cases due to the EU-Turkey deal that was made in 2016). Many refugees coming from the Middle East flee through Turkey to the Greek islands by being smuggled onto inflatable boats, in hopes of resettling in central Europe. Although majority are from the Middle East, there have been reportedly over 30different nationalities, including from Africa. Overpopulation has been the root of countless concerns- what used to be a military barrack that was designed with a capacity of 700 people, up to 2,500 refugees have lived here since the end of 2015. Overpopulation also sparks issues within the community due to the lack of shelter and resources, overload of the electrical grid, and understaffed workers, volunteers and security. Tension can overflow into violent outbreaks and riots resulting in unfortunate abuse and destruction of the infrastructure and provisions of the camp- especially when authorities fail to plan and prepare for the freezing and wet winters with unheated tents and makeshift shelters. Witnessing the living conditions firsthand and hearing the personal stories within the community made me realize the harsh realities of the humanitarian needs in our world.
Outcomes
After finishing my thesis project and graduating in May, I traveled back to Samos until August with Startupboat under the Mark and Pearle Award scholarship to continue my humanitarian design work in helping both the displaced community as well as the local community. During these three months, I was able to:
Conduct and synthesize research to concept prototypes such as 3D printing shelters made out of waste, mobile clinics (Refugee First Response Center), refugee camp digital newsletters, smart-farming, and a coding + Cisco Networking Academy (Pythagoras Academy).
Work with refugees who wanted to become entrepreneurs through design thinking methodologies and research.
Freelance for local community (photographing and creating websites for properties and restaurants in hopes of convincing owners to also employ refugees).
Guide refugees with resume/CV building, cover letters, job applications, and interview prep to cater towards their hopes and aspirations.
Lessons Learned
Designers not only make things work, they also make things right.
This isn’t a refugee/migration crisis, this is a crisis of imagination. We are bound by the limitations of our imagination.
Don’t put your users in the passenger seat, put them in the drivers seat. Your users know best what they desire, need and hope for – they are the experts.
Design is not limited to designing for the user or designing with the user. It can also be designed by the user. Educate, provide the right resources/tools, and empower your users to solve problems on their own.
Don’t design products, design outcomes. It’s not about volume, it’s about value.
Design for what responds to the people itself - responding to not just their daily needs, but also their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Helping them rebuild their lives, getting back to their normal lives, before the war.
Top-down solutions should not be expected to solve the issues of every scenario. This results to the hacking of generic infrastructures and products – adoption wasn’t the problem, it wasn’t that they didn’t understand how to use them, they just understood that these products could serve them in a better way. Like the design process, life isn’t a linear process. We must think bottom-up and start grassroots movements.
Design isn’t always a solution. Sometimes, design is about figuring out different ways to help mitigate the problem.
The beauty of social impact is that it’s not about competition, it’s about collaboration.
Just be human.
