The launch of comic relief’s tech for good camp: today’s starter for six
(2015)
By: Cassie Robinson
With my Point People hat on, I’ve been working with the brilliant James Boardwell on designing and delivering support for six varying projects recently awarded by Comic Relief from their Tech For Good fund
We’re at the start of the charity’s six month programme and have began with some intensive development of their ideas with the setup of a 3-day Tech For Good Camp. As the six projects are at very different stages with different mixes of expertise in their teams, we’ve designed the Camp into three Labs so as project teams can move around and use the expertise in the Labs at their own pace based on their current project needs.
James is facilitating the Product Lab with Ian Drysdale and James Rice offering design, UX and developer support to projects. Facilitating the Value Lab with Sian Prime is Dan Sutch, working in the projects around business modelling, impact and social, user and financial value.
I’m facilitating the Service Design & Prototyping Lab with Sarah Drummond and George Oates, supporting teams to think about engagement, user journeys, different ways of prototyping and service blueprints. Meanwhile, we’ve got Gabrel Homer working across all the Labs to help teams think about “design with data” and how they can use data to evidence demand, value and usage.
We’ve been pretty blown away by the potential impact of these projects and also the ambition of the project teams. These six projects were chosen from 250 applications received over a space of four weeks.
The six Tech For Good projects are:
‘Safetynets’ is a smartphone app from UK Network of Sex Projects, which will allows sex workers to quickly alert each other to imminent dangers nearby, with the aim of preventing assault, rape or murder. They are working in partnership with the brilliant Reason Digital.
SEAP (Support, Empower, Advocate, Promote’s) application was made with a web-based tool in mind to increase people’s knowledge of available disability benefits and give potential applicants the confidence to participate in the assessment process. They are working with the brilliant Harry Harrold from Neon Tribe.
Hull-based Kaini Industries will introduce ‘HullCoin’ — a form of Bitcoin generated when an individual or group engage in socially valuable activity, which can be redeemed through discounts to local services and businesses.
In London, Age UK Islington plan to use data to identify the most ‘winter vulnerable’ elderly people in the area so as to be able to best support them. They have teamed up with Creative Technologist Frankie Roberto.
Relate has developed an online dispute resolution service to help families in most need to access support when and where required. The tool empowers couples to work through separation disputes themselves — often outside of the civil court procedure — with a “ living document.”
Royal London Society for Blind People will use ‘Wayfindr,’ a downloadable smartphone app which helps visually impaired people navigate London Transport’s indoor spaces, such as tube stations and ticket service desks. They are working with Umesh Pandya from UsTwo.
We’ll be writing another post tomorrow about how the projects are developing. In the meantime, here’s a selection of images from today…
