Last Friday I ran a workshop with Design for Development Students at Kingston University. The session was designed to introduce the group to how different visualisation methods could be used to bring to life a new service design or user-experience.
It is sometimes a challenge for service designers to visualise a design that in many respects is invisible. When we are talking about a new service, what does that look like? What tangible impact will it have? How might we convince a client that this new design will make a considerable positive change to people’s lives?
Students shared challenges that they were currently facing on a day to day basis then came up with some great ideas to help visually communicate the affect of these issues. Ideas included; a film made through the eyes of a dangerous dog, a plan of the social implications resulting from poor personal hygiene, a website encouraging people to think more about the wellbeing of their feet, a simulation space designed to make the group experience what it might be like to use London transport as a disabled person, and a visualisation of the time wasted trying to decode the messages on the side of recycling bins.
The ingenuity and enthusiasm of the group was an inspiration. Thank you to all involved.