Could there possible be a product that can help the homeless?

[humanfatw]

My name is Wesley Wang, and I am an industrial/product design student currently studying at Georgia Institute of Technology. However, I am currently abroad at the moment.

I am currently doing a design project on homelessness, and I would like to design a product or a system that can help the homeless. In designing a product for them I would have to know what they need them most that can be solved in the context of product design. One area that many designers have attempted is transportable or cheap temporary shelters. However, I am trying go in another direction, instead of simply designing another shelter. Would you be able to give me some contacts of social workers that would like to give me some help or other organizations I can look into, so I may contact them. Thanks.

-wes

[Steel Butterfly]

Originally Posted by humanfatw

One area that many designers have attempted is transportable or cheap temporary shelters. However, I am trying go in another direction, instead of simply designing another shelter. Would you be able to give me some contacts of social workers that would like to give me some help or other organizations I can look into, so I may contact them. Thanks.

-wes

Hi Wes,

I'm afraid I don't have any contacts that would be helpful to you. However, there are a few of points you might want to bear in mind.

Firstly, that it is very hard to define a product that all homeless people will need, because they are all individuals. Every homeless person is different - and will have different needs. I simply don't think there is a "one size fits all" solution. And although there are certainly things that all homeless people will need - such as a sleeping bag, a rucksack, clothes, etc. - but these are obviously not things that can be designed.

Secondly, by neccessity, homeless people travel light. When you have a rucksack on your back, twenty-four hours a day, you have to think carefully about anything you put in it, due to the weight factor, so anything heavy or not of absolute neccessity won't be used by homeless people.

And, lastly, please bear in mind that homeless people are, in the majority, not materialistic, and "things" are of absolutely no interest to them, unless that "thing" is something they need for their day-to-day survival. When you have absolutely nothing, no money, no valuable possessions, after a while you realise that you don't need or want anything other than that, as long as you can survive on what little you do have.

Anyway, I hope this information may be of some help to you.

[Dominic]

I'd like a candle that goes out after say 10 minutes unless you prompt it that you are awake / or a cheep alternative.

Candles are very helpful when you are living in a squat, but they have also been to blame for a number of places burning down.

Candles are cheep as, so a very low cost light / even free light with a timer would be heaps helpful - set it for 30 mins and forget it. You could build into it an alarm to wake up and a radio very easily. Safe lighting though is the core problem to be solved.

[Free]

Originally Posted by humanfatw

My name is Wesley Wang, and I am an industrial/product design student currently studying at Georgia Institute of Technology. However, I am currently abroad at the moment.

I am currently doing a design project on homelessness, and I would like to design a product or a system that can help the homeless. In designing a product for them I would have to know what they need them most that can be solved in the context of product design. One area that many designers have attempted is transportable or cheap temporary shelters. However, I am trying go in another direction, instead of simply designing another shelter. Would you be able to give me some contacts of social workers that would like to give me some help or other organizations I can look into, so I may contact them. Thanks.

-wes

Mate I cant think of anything that isn't allready out there in the big wide world that can be extended upon. Food transport shelter clothing and bedding can all be had.

One product that may be unique is something that provides the needs of both shelter clothing and bedding in one? a poncho style coat that can be used as a tarp ground sheet and wearable sleeping bag.?

Dominic i have a wind up torch with a radio in it, I bought from a $2 shop.

[Dominic]

Originally Posted by Free

Dominic i have a wind up torch with a radio in it, I bought from a $2 shop.

Oh way cool. Let me know the brand I'd love to get a hold of a bunch of them and make them available.

[Free]

Mines not a brand name one, I will see if I can find a pic on google of the sort I have, the light lasts about 30 mins straight when wound up for a minute, but you can turn it on and off obviously.



This is exactly what mine is only mines a cheap chinese knock off without the solar strip I picked up for $9

[humanfatw]

Ya, I have seen lights like that. It is very cool

[humanfatw]

For this project, I have chosen the area of poverty and homelessness in United States, where in many cases the condition of homelessness is not by choice. I want to design a product or a plan that focus on assisting both the visibly and invisibly homeless community. Often times, the homeless do not know how to or where to seek consultation. Therefore, my idea at the moment is to design an interactive kiosk system that offers immediate help for the homeless with an organized database of community resource that assist the homeless in all areas of living.

My idea of a product for the homeless is a possible combination of an interactive kiosk machine that will situate in homeless shelters, a booth that uses such computer kiosk system, or an information center that uses such computer kiosks, all with the goal of offering immediate guidance and tips for the users. The three main purposes of this system is one: to provide information for those who seek it; two: to act as a platform for information sharing among the members of the homeless community; and three: for the homeless to stay connected.

This project has a number of interesting design challenges. Some of them include:

 Placement: the placement of interactive kiosk is important (public parks, subway stations, around shelters, soup kitchens, etc.), such as the ideas of public v. private viewing, what kinds of information will be available, and how discreet will it be, and how will using the kiosk be perceived?

 Computer literacy: this is another issue, which is partly caused by lack of experience but more importantly, the expectation that a computer or piece of technology can help is not always present. Is interface user friendly? Does it clearly show or imply its function and purpose?

 Paternalism: by this, I am about competing goals and messages sent by the technology. A paternalistic version might only include information about what a homeless person "should" do (e.g. getting sober, getting a job, finding a home, cleaning up). However, another version that is less paternalistic might include things that aren't strictly about the "should" and are more about what folks in that situation want and would do (e.g. discount liquor store, safe place to sleep "rough", good panhandling location, etc). The challenge is how one makes space for this balance.

 End user: There is the bigger question of whom the focus is on in the homeless community. There's the very visibly homeless who congregate in downtown and in parks, but there are also the invisibly homeless like families and people with jobs who just don't have enough money for rent. When thinking through different design options it is important to think more specifically whom it is for.

At the moment, this has been my initial idea, and I am currently emailing some organizations situated in the Atlanta area. The main focus of the interactive kiosk design is not so much what it looks like, but rather how it works and how the whole system will work in improving the living of homeless community. I understand this project is too obvious and indifferent. I am also thinking about what other projects in the area of homelessness I can come up with in the mean time, and thinking outside the box.

[beatonthestreet]

Originally Posted by Free

Mate I cant think of anything that isn't allready out there in the big wide world that can be extended upon. Food transport shelter clothing and bedding can all be had.

One product that may be unique is something that provides the needs of both shelter clothing and bedding in one? a poncho style coat that can be used as a tarp ground sheet and wearable sleeping bag.?

Dominic i have a wind up torch with a radio in it, I bought from a $2 shop.

There is a product already available that combines a Coat and sleeping bag that I know some homeless Advocates are in discussions with the peeps that created that created it:
http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/vessel-half-jacket-half-tent.html

Within California there is also a lot of discussions going on regarding EDARs, A portable tent Structure on wheels that is very expensive, $500.. There are cheaper alternatives such as 'Angel Wings', that too can be used as a Poncho and Tent. This Product was made by a group with and for Homeless people.

As you point out Free, quite a lot of products have already created. Usually with the 'outdoor survival' people in mind who climb mountains and that.

Ive also seen the wind up torch's & radios quite commonly in Ireland.. I reckon sometimes its peoples minds that re-invented...

[Free]

They're great products man!
being homeless whether on the street or just perpetual itinerant, is all about surviving the basic needs all people have in as much comfort as possible.

humanfatw, I think a kiosk is a good Idea perhaps look and research the old depression days and see if you can bring it into the modern era.

[beatonthestreet]

Wesley I would suggest you get in contact with Randy from SHELTER, A really friendly guy in Sanata Monica. He has developed a similar concept to the principals you have mentioned...
His is geared more towards a 'japanese Hotel Concept' and his contact details can be found at his site: www.rwshelters.com

Im liking the Kiosk idea, though I would hope that the online info, could be easily available in Libraries and from service providers. At these forums we are striving to gather as much info as possible that can be accessed online for peeps that may need them through our 'City Guides' project

There are groups in the States and beyond that use as their baseline increasing peoples technology skills and literacy and you should look towards them for some guidance possibly. A canadian group worth looking into would be http://homelessnation.org/

I am part of an UK based group that is seeking to set up a similar 'basic technical' project in October.

Its really the adage of not re-inventing the wheel, lets refine it and make it move faster!

One element I must stress though is that great ideas are great.. It takes real work and commitement to see them through. When you create something that maybe of benefit you really have to stick at it and support it.. Ive seen heaps of great projects fall by the wayside due to lack of support and I speak from bitter experience...

[humanfatw]

Ah, in the case of the "japanese hotel concept." I know in Japan they have the capsule hotel. I wonder if this is what Randy is gearing towards. I think this is interesting: http://www.yesicanusechopsticks.com/capsule/

And by the way, everyone, thanks for all the suggestions and comments thus far. They are very helpful

[jon@everyoneshome.org.uk]

Don't like capsule idea. Sounds horrible - is horrible.

The kiosk idea is similarly redundent. We have mobiles and websites nowdays - if an information solution can't be made with these - what good a proprietary solution?

[jim redfield]

humanfatw - I joined this forum simply so I could find you and respond to your interest in interactive kiosks for the homeless (the kiosk key phrase triggered a flag here, which led me to your post). If kiosks start to seem like a good way to go for you, please contact me - we've been designing and producing them for years and I would be happy to chime in with ideas about how they might work for the homeless (at least as I, from the kiosk end of the pipe see it - I claim no expertise about the homeless). Note that my company does NOT manufacturer kiosks and my interest is not in 'getting business' from you - rather I think my knowledge of them might be helpful if you want to explore using them further.

[humanfatw]

jim_redfield - thank you very much for responding to my post. As the project is still in its beginning stage and both homelessness and interactive kiosk are two areas that I have just begun to explore. Your knowledge in the area of interactive kiosk is greatly appreciated.

[humanfatw]

jon@everyoneshome.org.uk - Even though we have mobiles and websites, most homeless people do not have these privileges, therefore part of my design idea is to make such connective service more widely available for these people.

[maurreen]

Wesley,

I've looked into kiosks before, for other reasons. I bought one through eBay for a few hundred dollars, but I haven't been able to do anything further with it yet.

Here is the URL for a trade association:
www.selfservice.org/

Also, I no longer have the link, but somewhere online sells plans.

Anyway, I'm not sure there's a need for a new design, or even kiosks.

But if that's the route you're going to follow, one way that might fill a need is to have something very rugged that might be installed outside, or somewhere that is not an agency, where homeless people might be anyway.

[humanfatw]

Hi all,

I think the idea of designing for homeless is very interesting and very challenging. I understand designers worldwide have tried to solve this problem. What I have noticed is that they focus more on the physical needs, such as shelters, food, clothings, storage, transportation, etc.

I am wondering what if I designing for the homeless people's emotional and mental needs, such as motivation, hope, change, education, conseling security, skills, and connectivity, etc. I understand that they are very abstract....What are your (people´s) thoughts?

Thanks,
wes

[humanfatw]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4396372.stm

Here is an article I came across regarding internet broadband for the homeless.

[EmBe]

Originally Posted by humanfatw

Could there possible be a product that can help the homeless?