A Saga of Expression

For the underprivileged kids of Northern Indian belt, in support with RoundGlass Foundation — Model Village project.

[An exercise for Entrepreneurial Design Class at SVA IxD]

Challenge: RG Model Villages is an organization that empowers kids suffering from abuse or living without a family. Their Northern India section wants to: “Find a way to reach out to young urban adults and design/gamify an experience that helps them build a long term relationship with the cause”.

Solution: A saga of expression uses the Xbox Kinect motion-sensing technique to capture kids just being kids — whether it’s dancing, jumping, playing or merely expressing themselves. From the movement pattern, we then create individual pieces of art connected to each child. Just as every child is unique, every pattern is also a unique visual expression of a child’s imagination and play.

These patterns, combined with a modern art expression, would be installed in art galleries in India and worldwide. You can scan this pattern to be taken to a page linked to that child and would have the opportunity to donate. The patterns are also put on limited edition T-shirts and prints to launch collections in collaboration with FabIndia clothing store. All profits made will go to RoundGlass Foundation which would be utilized in their modern village program. New collections and visuals will then be created from villages across the globe and launched continuously throughout the year.

Preliminary research

I spoke to two adults (aged 25–35) and tried to understand them from not donating because of a general distrust of where the money goes, to donating every month.

I also asked them “What’s the best thing about being a kid?”

It helped me realize that people have a general distrust due to the lack of an interpersonal relationship with the cause. They are also unaware of each child’s story and background, as it would have otherwise fostered some connection between the donor and the cause. The donating experience, in general, seems to be broken and insipid.

The essence of childhood, artistically captured through a gamified experience and connected with fundraising would be an exciting way to tackle this problem.