Too much time indoors and a lack of focus our creativity can produce some adverse results. Get outside! Be healthy! Imagine!

I found this TED talk on www.takemeoutside.ca - an commendable effort to get kids out of the classroom and off the computer.

A can o' worms! With so many people throwing the term around these days it's easy to forget the meaning of the word and see as a tag for "doing good". Which, depending on where the message is coming from, could mean pretty much anything!

Something which can maintain intself infinitely
such as the weather, as long as we don't keep messing with it.

Thinking about sustainability within design, the "cradle to cradle" approach that mimics nature and ideally results in non-destructive patterns and behaviours is a model to strive for. Being a visual communication designer rather than an industrial designer makes this kind of thinking more challenging but no less relevant. As designers our potential  influence is large, so pioneering "sustainable design" is not only an opportunity to "do good" it is also essential for our future. Thinking about where materials come from and where they go should become part of our psyche. Also, visual communication can be used to ensure that the big ideas are delivered effectively, with understanding and empathy.

Instead of taking on the world and in consideration of the 5 week time frame of the course we are narrowwing our question into a slightly more tackle-able one. Rachel works with kits neighbourhood house for seniors. She feels that seniors would benefit (emotionally and physically) from better social interaction. By better social interaction we mean improved inclusion into the community. A way to tap into the knowledge and wisdom of the older generation that would be mutually beneficial.

How can we encourage social interaction for seniors in vancouver to increase health?

What are the issues?
Health issues, lonliness, phychological wellness, environmental effects, communication barriers

What do we want to know?
Through empathetic research we want to extract information in a positive way about the following:
How far and where do they travel each day
Environmental considerations - order of importance
Non-financial legacy
Wish lists, best memory
Favourite chanel of communication
Passions, Interests, community involvement
History, memories

Why?
What could be shared with youth to improve education
Creative a dialogue between generations
Fun interactivity for older generation, education and connection for younger generations

Project idea #5
New Media Content... specifically designed for older people
Taken from the Aging pamphlet by Red

What's out there already?

The Buddy Radio by Sidekick Studios
An article on interaction and health
Social inclusion of the Oldest old study findings

Human centred design; a framework for designing smarter?

Culture is complex and changeable. By observing peopl ein their natural environments we can better determine their needs and understand the why, who, how and where of the problems. Cultural norms are developed in response to our need for meaning. Powerful communication and effective design is human centred. focusing on:

Desirability - what do people want?
Feasibility - technical and organizational

Viability - financial and social

Methods tht can be used to capture the story and gain empathy (and information)
Show me...

Draw it...

Photograph it...

5 reasons why...

think aloud...

maps! (I love maps)

"Social inclusion is one of the key determinants of health. If people don't feel they belong, they are not as healthy as those who do."

Janet Gasparini, Social Planning Council of Sudbury