News : Sunderland City Council
live|work in International Herald Tribune
Recessionary design: A boom time for creative energy
Recessionary design: A boom time for creative energy
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Article written by Alice Rawsthorn
‘4. Redesigning social services.
A similar mix of systemic design thinking and traditional design techniques is enabling designers to address social problems, such as aging, crime and unemployment. Some of these problems may worsen during recession. The British government has already commissioned the service design consultancy Live|Work to expand its Hot Products program of designing ways to help teenagers prevent the theft of their cellphones and other portable devices.
Equally relevant at a time when joblessness is rising is the Make it Work initiative developed by Live|Work to help the long-term unemployed in the British city of Sunderland to find work. The project began two years ago when Live|Work analyzed the support offered and what was needed. Many people were prevented from working by problems such as drug addiction or caring responsibilities. A common difficulty was the disconnect between the specialist agencies dealing with those issues and local employment services.
Live|Work designed an “activity coalition” whereby all of the relevant support services, including charities and local government, could pool information and work together to help individuals. For example, one beneficiary is a former heroin addict and career criminal who kicked his addiction thanks to the support of a rehabilitation charity, which then collaborated with fellow coalition members to help him train as a fork lift truck driver and find a job.’
International Herald Tribune
November 14 2008
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