WELCOME TO THE 2024 HACK FOR GLOBAL GOOD
Here are resources you can use during the empathize, define, and ideate phases of your design work.
1. EMPATHIZE: To create an amazing innovation, you need to understand the people (users) you are designing for. What are they struggling with? What do they want? What frustrates them? How do they live? Some of the articles below provide first-hand accounts of those who are facing sustainability challenges. For example, in the Accessibility article "The City Looks Different When You're Older", Alberto Lao mentions that it has become unsafe for him to cross the street as he has aged because crosswalks are designed for cars. The signals do not allow enough time for slower people who use walkers and other assistive devices to cross the street before the signal changes. This article helps me understand his desire for mobility and his fear of being injured.
2. DEFINE: Once you have a general idea of the big problem/issue you want to tackle during the H4GG (i.e. accessible crosswalks), you need to clearly define the part of that big problem that you want to create an innovative solution to. A well-defined problem statement clearly states the user, what they want, and why they want it. For example, Alberto Lao wants to be able to safely cross busy roads with his walker because he values his independence and desires the ability to be able to walk to the places he needs and wants to go.
3. IDEATE: With a clearly defined problem statement, you are ready to ideate (or brainstorm) solutions. For a solution to be innovative, it must be something that has not already been created. Use the resources below and others to get ideas that you can build off of and make your own. For example, someone already created a cross walk signal to help people safely cross the road. You can innovate off of that idea and create one that has buttons that allow you to specify the speed at which you will be walking across so that they signal will not change when you are in the middle of it.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Why is it important for people in cities to have access to fresh, nutritious foods?
Questions to Consider:
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: What is preventing people from accessing and using safe, affordable, and ecologically-friendly forms of transportation?
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Services, resources, and opportunities in cities are not accessible to all.
Questions to Consider:
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Climate change is causing an increase in natural disasters that are threatening city infrastructure and residents.
Questions to Consider:
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Cities have large numbers of homeless people due to a lack of safe, affordable housing.
Questions to Consider:
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Poverty prevents all community members from being able to contribute to society and from reaching their full potential.
Questions to Consider:
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: What happens when a city does not have ample green space? How do green spaces benefit cities and communities?
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: What is preventing people from using more sustainable energy sources?
Questions to Consider:
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Without good waste management plans, significant health and environmental problems result.
Questions to Consider:
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