It’s been more than a year now since the pandemic has taken over and severely impacted our lives in many different ways. Although we’ve been living this ’new normal‘ for quite some time now, I still haven’t been able to adapt to this situation completely, and it seems that I’m not the only one. Many people suffer from the social distancing measures like isolation, homeschooling and home office and are trying out mental health apps to help them during these difficult times. But can such apps truly improve your mental well-being? Is it possible for an app to replace a professional? I’ve learned that there are severe issues regarding such apps, and many of these apps don’t deliver what they promise. Hence, I want to raise awareness of these risks and give you some criteria and means to assess and find a reliable, well-designed mental health app.

COVID-19 and the rise of mental health apps
Mobile phones have evolved from devices used to make calls to agendas, cameras, mp3 players to platforms for online dating, trading of stocks, etc. Consequently, it was only a matter of time when we would start using our mobile phones also to improve
our mental health.
Today there are over 10’000 mental health apps and the current situation with COVID-19 might have even accelerated this trend of using such apps. Numbers show that Covid-19 has spiked the download of mental health apps ranging from meditation and wellness apps like Headspace to teletherapy platforms like Talkspace. At the same time, mental health studies were on top of the list of publications in 2020. They show us that the pandemic also has positive effects, such as that the taboo around the topic of mental health is slowly being lifted. As a result of more conversation around this topic, more people have become aware of mental health’s importance. This might be another factor that contributed to the rise of downloads during the pandemic.
Furthermore, many mental health apps were heavily advertised during the pandemic. Some like Calm are even offering free memberships now to attract and gain new users. As a result, the app reached more than 911’000 downloads in April 2020, which means an increase of almost 31% compared to January 2020 (Perez, 2020).
Mental health apps currently make use and benefit from the situational need of people. They are booming as they can offer instant access to help from literally anywhere where there is internet service without having to adhere to any restrictions imposed because of COVID-19.

How mental health apps have opened access to aid
Mental health apps have given people who live in rural areas the opportunity to access help, which might previously not have had the chance to it. Furthermore, they offer the comfort of not having to leave your or home or even bed to get help. This consequently also affects that compared to visiting a mental health professional, such apps can offer more anonymity, which means that there is one less barrier to seeking help. Mental health apps have also allowed people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to access affordable treatment, which might not have been possible due to the costs of a private face-to-face session. For example, a monthly membership on Talkspace where you have unlimited therapy (text, video, and audio messaging, therapist replies daily, five times a week) costs only 260$ a month. In contrast, for one fifty-minute therapy session in Switzerland, costs range from 140 – 170 CHF (Psychotherapy in Switzerland, 2021).
By being available everywhere at a comparatively low cost, or some apps which are available for free, mental health apps furthermore have also opened doors for teenagers or other groups with less severe mental illnesses where primary care isn’t necessary.
When looking at this, mental health apps seem to be great and offer several advantages over traditional therapy. However, it’s not that easy. Professionals have voiced serious concern because, unfortunately, there are also downsides to many of these apps that might not be visible at first sight.

Serious concerns
One big issue is that most mental health apps were and are designed and developed without experts or the support of government funding. Reports show that apps developed by non-researchers and non-clinical teams do not strongly follow evidence-based guidelines and therefore can include in some instances inaccurate and consequently unsafe information.
Furthermore, another fact that is important to mention is that there is currently no ethical guideline for developing mental health apps. This raises considerable concerns about privacy and confidentiality. This is especially the case because the majority of mental health apps live outside of the jurisdiction of national or federal health regulations. This means that the protection of data collected by such an app is not guaranteed in the same way as information shared with a doctor or therapist. Furthermore, at this point, it’s also unclear how app stores regulate such apps and how they react to clinical concerns voiced to these apps.

How are these issues being addressed?
Currently, health systems and professional organizations are working on guiding consumers to high-quality apps. They are trying this by establishing guidelines for the design and development of apps. For example, the American Psychological Association has come up with an ethical guideline for health and mental health app developers.
Essential aspects of this guideline are protecting users‘ privacy, having control over what happens to their personal data, and making sure the apps are evidence-based. With this, the American Psychological Association aims to assure that no harmful apps are being put on the market.
In parallel to this, there are also attempts to create a framework for the assessment of those applications. These frameworks, for example, the Canadian Assessment Framework includes very similar criteria.
These cases show that government and health professionals are aware of the different areas of mental health apps that need improvement and clear rules. It is great to see that governments and experts are putting efforts into changing the situation. However, these things take time. Hence, in the meantime, potential users must be made aware of the risks and the criteria they should look for when considering such apps. Additionally, it should be made better visible by platforms like the app or google play store that if these apps they offer are evidence-based, effective and designed with experts and potential end-users.

How can I find a good mental health app?
While the review and ratings of products might usually be a good source of information, it isn’t necessarily ideal for mental health apps. Ratings can be unreliable, biased, and you never know how long a person has used the app and how well they stuck to the program and exercises. Some essential questions you can ask that can help find a reliable app are:
1. Were experts and or potential end-users involved in the development?
2. Is the app based on evidence?
3. What is the privacy policy of the app?
Unfortunately, it’s often not easy to find this important information, but thankfully, there are two websites that can help.

• One Mind Psyber Guide
  PsyberGuide is a website dedicated to helping people choose reliable computer and device-assisted therapy for mental illnesses. Behind the website are an academic management team and a scientific board of directors. They come up with professional reviews of some of the apps available. Criteria for these reviews include credibility, transparency, and user experience.
• Psychiatry.org
  Psychiatry.org is the American Psychiatric Association website and reviews apps with the American Psychiatric Association App Evaluation Model. Their criteria are divided into background (if the app identifies ownership, funding sources, etc.), privacy and safety, clinical foundation, usability, and therapeutic goal. While these websites might be helpful, it’s important to remember that just because certain apps received a good review doesn’t mean that they will be effective and work for everyone. Furthermore, as soon as mental health issues become severe, it’s important to seek help from a professional as these apps cannot replace professional treatment just yet. I believe that we’re on a good way for mental health to become just as important as physical health. Moreover, it’s good to see that government and health organizations are actively working on making mental health apps safe and effective. With the aid of regulations and policies, such apps can become very valuable and could reach more people than traditional methods. I believe once rules and policies have been put in place, mental health apps can become a great contributor to achieving sustainable development goal number 3, „good health.“ Because after all, as the World Health Organization famously says, „There is no health without mental health.“

References
An Assessment Framework for e-Mental Health Apps in Canada: Results of a Modified Delphi Process. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152285

Bulatovych, D. (n.d.). Aspects to Consider When Developing a Mental Health App. Yalantis. Retrieved April 8, 2021, from https://yalantis.com/blog/mental-health-app-development/

Nature Editorial. (2020, December 17). How a torrent of COVID science changed research publishing — in seven charts. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03564-y?error=cookies_not_supported&code=07942826-c49d-49aa-a02a-2017743a1e5e

Neary, M., S.M., Schuelle. (2018). State of the Field of Mental Health Apps. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.01.002

Perez, S. (2020, May 28). Meditation and mindfulness apps continue their surge amid pandemic. Tech Chrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/28/meditation-and-mindfulness-apps-continue-their-surge-amid-pandemic/

Psychotherapy in Switzerland. (2021, April 9). European Association for Psychotherapy. Retrieved April 09. 2021, from https://www.europsyche.org/situation-of-psychotherapy-in-variouscountries/switzerland/#:%7E:text=The%20average%20activity%20level%20of%20psychotherapists%3A%2054%25.%20There,CHF%20140%20to%20170%20per%20hour%20are%20recommended

Schraer, B. R. (2020, August 12). Coronavirus: Severe mental health problems rise amid pandemic. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53742121

World Health Organization. (2012, December 19). WHO | No physical health without mental health: lessons unlearned? WHO. https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/91/1/12-115063/en/

Two generations are dealing with each other for the sake of all concerned. This blog is about implementing new institutions with the elderly and children under one roof. Simply put, it is about the creation of a better system of care.

As you know, our retirement homes and the care for children are a concern for many people. Our system forced young parents to put their parents in a retirement home and their children in a daycare center. As time changes, we now have a new way of working and living. But don’t you think it would be interesting for the elderly to see the world again through the eyes of a young being, full of wonder, joy, curiosity, and a high willingness to learn? What if, we bring these strictly separated institutions together?

Current situation

The introduction sounded like a new approach, but in fact, it is not. I thought of having the ground-breaking new idea, the solution for the growing demand for caring institutions. But my illusion was quickly destroyed when I searched on the Internet on what is already out there. In West Seattle is the institution Intergenerational Learning Center (ILC (2018). Providence Mount St. Vincent), where the elderly and children can learn from each other. The trigger behind the ILC was that the residents were missing one thing- the joy of children. Therefore, inside the Providence Mount St. Vincent senior care facility, a daycare center is integrated. The daily schedule is filled with some planned and spontaneous activities like dancing, lunch, storytelling, or just visiting. It is the home of more than 400 elderly and around 125 children (aged between six weeks and five years old). ILC published a Video (The Growing Season Film. (04.06.2015). Trailer – YouTube) to show daily procedures, which were just heartwarming. Both generations treat each other with dignity and respect. It was touching and pleasant to see the joy in the eyes of the residents. It transmitted the feeling of belonging, happiness, and living in the moment. Surprisingly, it has been operating for over three decades means this revolutionary approach runs for a while. How come that it is not happening in larger dimensions or people know about this idea? Or did you?

Benefits 

There are many benefits as an intergenerational institution offers many enriching interactions. It looks like a Win-Win-Situation, for parents, children, the elderly, and the institution. Further, it is a valuable approach in terms of ecological and economic aspects. The following sections take an in-depth examination of the different benefits from various perspectives.

Children

Children need a lot of time and patience, and they can entertain themselves for hours on trivial activities. But still, someone has to care for them, at the latest when their megalomania kicks in. They need to feel welcome and require a lot of attention. In this case, the older generation can give this along and provide the younger one with wisdom and knowledge. Besides, children have many different playmates and role models, which helps children breaking down stereotypes and barriers between generations. They appreciate diversity as they see people in wheelchairs, others speechless, and still others with limited motor capabilities. Therefore, children learn at a young age to accept everyone.

Moreover, children become familiar with a broader perspective of family lives. They discover a comprehension of the natural aging process. Furthermore, death is omnipresent, and children become aware that death is part of life. They learn to deal with goodbyes, loss, and sadness at an early age.

Elderly

Benefits for the elderly generation are the opportunity to be reintegrated into family life and feel needed. They have a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning, and something that drives them. It might rekindle the sense of wonder and humor, which children spray.

Further, it is easier to communicate with children as the conversation is light and short. Many elderlies feel alone and isolated, have depression and mental health problems. Children can help there to overcome their worries and fears and live in the moment. Imagine an 85-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease holds a toddler in her arms. Holding might reawaken her motherly feelings as hormones spray through her body and both feel closeness.

Institution

Alongside the social benefits, it could be interesting from an economic point of view. Institutions can make use of synergies and cooperation. A great deal of daily work in a daycare center or old pensions is finding occupation for its people. Besides, the daily schedules are similar for both generations; have fun, play, sing, and talk. In an intergenerational institution, one task like dancing or painting suddenly is covered by both generations. Both are involved in the activity, which requires less money, time, and space. The elderly engage with children, therefore is no need for additional employees. Those synergies are in the interest of the institution itself as it is financially lucrative. Even if it does not require less staff, either way, it is a relief for the employees when generations spend the time with each other. When it comes to cooking, the diet is very similar, with lots of porridge or mush, which is easy to chew. There is no demand for the extra effort in the kitchen.

The larger context

With the growing population, also due to our advanced medical knowledge, people are getting older. Parents have to work more and give their children more frequently to daycare centers, which calls for more social institutions on both ends of the spectrum. When both institutions are under the same roof means a release for the parents, as they only must tackle one route, which is also environmentally friendly. When it comes to sustainability, it is beneficial that rooms, spaces, and kitchens are shared. The question remains of how this is going to be financed. In some countries, municipalities or governments supported care institutions as retirement homes are costly, and daycare is rather expensive. Therefore, some states even assist parents with child supplements. Likewise, such intergenerational institutions need financial support.

Risks

Next to many advantages, there are some risks, which we must consider. There must be some reason why it is not more spread around the world. One reason might be that the older generation must still be in good health conditions to care for children or be with children. Perhaps one envisions it to be too simplistic. Depending on their state of health, older people need round-the-clock care. The same applies to children with special needs as it is too strenuous.

Additionally, there might be some deniers who do not believe in concepts like those. Some parents might be strictly against such approaches as they do not trust unconventional institutions. Many parents put their children into early education programs and want their children to be encouraged adequately to reach their full potential. Nowadays, it is common for children to take early Chinese, early ballet classes, and violin hours or God knows where else. Probably, this comes from our performance-oriented society, which also puts children under pressure.

Further, some might argue that it is tough to prepare the next generation for the challenges of the 21st century with a mindset of the last century. Therefore, it is challenging to convince the parents to put their gifted children in an alternative learning environment. One solution could be that the monetary side regulates this, which means that such institutions are cheaper than conventional ones.

Relation to Design Management

Firstly, design is about creating possibilities, and Design Management is all about collaboration and bringing people together. An intergenerational institution fosters collaboration between different age groups, utilizes synergies, and brings different perspectives together. Further, Design Management is about tackling complex problems and improving a situation into a better one. It creates new ways of thinking, a good atmosphere and makes people happy. This institution would create a system in the system and solve many problems at once. Intergenerational institutions are humanistic and put people at the center of the solution, but the social institution offers added value in sustainable and financial aspects.

Unfortunately, this concept is not widespread around the globe. But there is a possibility to do so, which could be considered a design management task. Maybe it is to raise awareness in society about this concept and its benefits. Maybe in 10 years, parents have the opportunity to decide in what kind of institutions they put their children and their parents.

Conclusion

I am convinced that such institutions are successful as it fills gaps, which our system created. Further, I believe that both generations can benefit from each other. They need each other because it is natural to let them interact with each other instead of separating them. What we are doing with the elderly and how we care for our children is gaining importance. Those are current issues, which we cannot ignore. We are the generation who must solve this. Maybe I am the Design Manager, who brings this concept closer to society. What about you? Are you interested in supporting with any recommendations?

Author: Melanie Arnold

Sources

Intergenerational Learning Center. (2018). Providence Mount St. Vincent https://www.providence.org/locations/wa/mount-st-vincent/facility-profile/intergenerational-learning-center

Generations united. (2021). Generations united  https://www.gu.org/who-we-are/mission/

Daycare inside a nursing home. (2019). Denver Channel News https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/daycare-inside-a-nursing-home-yes-and-its-a-big-hit-in-seattle?fbclid=IwAR3__89yUNYLSNnYoAQD4Pln5bw1kXRXAA8xncGFh35GJPuNbDuqm-kNyDQ

The Growing Season Film. (04.06.2015). The Growing Season Trailer – YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/embed/6K3H2VqQKcc?rel=0&wmode=transparent

 

Sustainable transport options are extremely trendy at the moment. There have been many product trends in the past, such as the hoverboard, but currently, the e-scooter is an extremely big hype worldwide. Many see it as a great and fast way to get around. Often it is seen as a more sustainable way to travel short distances without having to use public transport. There are now many e-scooter rentals in major cities and there are already affordable models sold for private use. However, I wonder if an e-scooter is really a good alternative to other means of transportation and what someone should pay attention to in order to use e-scooters safely.

What is the concept of e-scooters?

E-scooters are powered by a battery and charged with electricity. For this reason, no Co² is emitted when used and this is therefore of course a very sustainable aspect of the scooter and a big plus. One place where e-scooters are used the most is in larger cities with a lot of tourist traffic. Many providers operate an e-scooter share system. An example of a city that already uses e-scooters is Paris. There are several providers of e-scooters there, such as Lime, Bird, Wind and Tier. Of these, Lime is the most widespread and most used provider in the city. In total, more than 10’000 e-scooters are currently available for use and rental. Even though there are many different providers, the prices are very much aligned with each other. Mostly you pay a base price of 1 euro and then per minute 15 cents. This is a very cheap way to get from one place to another in the city. The e-scooters have a range of about 40 to 90 kilometres and are therefore well sufficient for most trips. To use a scooter, all you have to do is open a provider’s app and enter your credit card information. You can then scan the QR code attached to an e-scooter and start driving. The app recognizes the time travelled and charges the credit card accordingly. This gives the user extreme freedom, especially since you can scan any scooter on the street and park it anywhere you like. At the end of the day, workers from the provider go around the city to collect the scooter and recharge them, so that they are ready for use the next day. In addition to the freedom that is guaranteed with the e-scooters, using the scooters is a pleasure. It’s fun to ride them through the streets and discover the city at the same time while covering the distance.

E-scooters and their dangers and regulations

All these facts show how great an e-scooter can be. However, the scooter also has its negative sides. France has also seen these sides and even introduced laws for the e-scooter. One of the biggest problems is the danger that the scooters bring with them. In June 2019 a 25-year-old man succumbed to his injuries in hospital and died after colliding with a truck while riding an e-scooter. Many other accidents happen that left e-scooter users with injuries. Before September 2019, there were no real regulations in place for e-scooter drivers. After many accidents that occurred, stricter regulations were introduced. Before was no age or speed limit in place. Many have driven the scooters in crowded places at top speed and so not only themselves but also the passers-by in danger brought. For this reason, a speed limit of 20km/h was introduced and even a limit of 8km/h for places with a lot of pedestrians. It was also recognized that an e-scooter also has to do with responsibility and an age restriction was introduced. You are only allowed to drive an e-scooter if you are over 8 years old and kids younger than 12 have to wear a helmet while using it. All e-scooters also have to be throttled to the highest speed of 25km/h. Penalties were assessed as a consequence of the regulations. So, you are punished with 135 euros if you ride on the sidewalk and also 35 euros if you obstruct the sidewalk with a scooter. If you get caught using an e-scooter that is not throttled to 25km/h you will be fined 1500 Euros. Riding the scooter on the bicycle lane or the bus line is allowed, but also here you have to keep in mind that all traffic regulations have to be respected. If you do not respect them and behave dangerously, you can expect a penalty of one-year imprisonment and a fine of 15’000 euros. All these regulations were put in place to protect passers-by and users.

All these facts show me, that e-scooter might not be the best thing to move around. I recognize that it is a cheap and environmentally friendly way to get from one point to another. A couple of years ago I was in Paris with friends and was able to have my own experience with the e-scooters. It was really amusing and great fun to drive around with the scooters, so you can save a lot of energy to cover longer distances. They also remind me of my childhood where we often went to school with the scooters. But since I have already made experiences with the e-scooters, I see the dangers even more. There are many very responsible drivers who move slowly and safely. Other users drive at high speed through crowds of people, and this seems very risky to me. Seeing how many laws have been enacted to protect pedestrians and users also shows me how dangerous riding a scooter can be. So, what rules can you follow in order to drive a scooter in a safe manner?

Five most important rules: 

1. Follow traffic rules and always drive attentively
2. Do not ride an e-scooter after consuming alcohol
3. Ride the scooter only as a single person, do not share e-scooters
4. Follow the speed rules and drive only as fast as you feel safe
5. Respect pedestrians and pay attention to your surroundings

These are the most important rules to protect you from accidents. The rules are very similar to the rules you should follow when riding a bike. That is why it is often recommended to wear a helmet when riding. I see this as problematic to implement, but it can work for private e-scooters. However, if you rent a scooter in the city, often no helmet is carried. Nevertheless, wearing a helmet would be very positive and could certainly prevent injuries. Of course, for many people, these rules seem logical and are not even worth mentioning. Nevertheless, there are extremely frequent accidents with the scooters, so where do they come from? This is another reason that these rules must still be stated to make the whole concept safer. In many accidents in which e-scooter drivers are involved, there are often several victims. Often the driver loses control of the device and drives it into a crowd of people and injures several others at the same time. This also gives one the responsibility towards the fellow human beings.

If there are so many dangers, should you even use an e-scooter? Of course, e-scooters are a cool and great invention. They give many users a great advantage. You can move quickly in the city and the scooters can be used at almost every age. You can use it for sightseeing in many cities without spending big bucks on a tourist bus. They are quite inexpensive and can be found in many places. You can use it with friends without any problems and it is a great alternative to other means of transportation. There are many points that speak for the e-scooter, I myself find the concept a good idea, but it also shows gaps that must be fixed. People need to be aware of the dangers they are exposed to when using an e-scooter. If you don’t drive sensibly and can’t keep control of the scooter, it can be dangerous for you and the people around you. Many see scooters as a rather safe transportation option, but just like many other devices, you can get hurt while using them. However, such dangers can hardly be contained, as soon as you ride a device that transports you, you put yourself at risk of causing an accident. However, there is a possibility to prevent accidents as much as possible by following these 5 most important rules and abide by the prescribed laws. If you always follow these rules and laws, you don’t have to be afraid to use an e-scooter and nothing stands in the way of a great ride.

Blog article by: Julie Grosjean

Sources:

• “Electric Scooters: France Introduces New Rules to ‘Restore Tranquillity.’” BBC News, 25 Oct. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50189279.
• Europe consommateurs. “Electric Scooters in France.” Www.europe-Consommateurs.eu, www.europe-consommateurs.eu/en/travelling-motor-vehicles/motor-vehicles/electric-scooters-in-france.html.
• France 24. “First Electric Scooter Death in Paris as Controversy Rages.” France 24, 11 June 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190611-first-electric-scooter-death-paris-controversy-rages.
• Hollingsworth, Joseph, et al. LETTER • OPEN ACCESS. 10.1088/1748-9326/ab2da8.
• Paris malader. “E-Tretroller in Paris Fahren: Preise, Anbieter & Funktionsweise | Paris Mal Anders.” Www.parismalanders.com, 10 Apr. 2019, www.parismalanders.com/elektroroller-paris

I challenge you not to check your phone as you are reading this blog entry. Not even as you hear it vibrating next to your laptop. If this is difficult for you, you are not the only one. Many people feel the constant need to look at their phones. Studies show that the typical smartphone user touches their phone more than 150 times per day (Neyman, 2017). And there is a valid reason for this extraordinary number. The apps on our smartphones are intentionally designed to keep us attached. Through notifications, designers steer our thoughts and interrupt our schedules. When we swipe, we are manipulated into spending time online, even if this was not our initial intention (Harris, 2017). But not only do these apps keep distracting us, but also soak up our precious time once we are using them. Research shows that people spend a daily average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones (Becker, n.d.).

The problem with increased smartphone usage  

The overall costs are obvious: software is taking away our time to spend our lives. It changes the notion of how we do conversations and engage in relationships. For example, Snapchat has become the number one app used for communication by American teenagers. It is a social media app that enables users to send photos that are only visible for limited seconds. There is a feature called “Snapscore”. It counts each following day that two people are in contact. Usually, teenagers do not want to lose a high “Snapscore” with a friend. So they start to schedule their days around this app, manipulated to send at least one message back within 24 hours. It becomes problematic when they stop having real conversations. Teenagers send empty pictures back and forth and waste their precious time with useless communication. (Harris, 2017)

The role of social media platforms

This dependency on our phones, as well as the disruptiveness of incoming notifications and the corresponding formed “checking habits” are highly dangerous. Studies confirm a link between problematic smartphone usage and teenage depression. There is a particular problem with social media, as it is one of the top reasons for smartphone usage. After games, social networking platforms are the most downloaded type of applications. (Noë et al., 2019)

Research shows that the average smartphone user spends around 135 minutes online, which amounts to an eighth of the time awake (INC Statista, 2017). Apple has developed an approach to solving this problem by allowing users to set a timer for selected apps. But this does not work, at least for me, and I catch myself ignoring the timer and continuing scrolling through my feed on Instagram. What makes it so hard to stop using these apps?

There is a neurological reason for our dependency

The hyper-social environments that social media platforms provide are the true drivers of our addiction. Through likes on Facebook and Instagram, we carry thousands of social interactions in our pockets. Humans have evolved as social beings, which has always been a key characteristic for the success of our species. So whenever we engage in successful social interactions, our brains release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that rewards us for favorable social behavior and motivates us to repeat it. Interestingly, certain dopamine pathways in our brains have shown to disfunction in case of addiction. These pathways, that work as connection between particular sequences, get active as we experience rewarding situations. More precisely, these pathways are reinforced each time a response to a stimuli results in a reward. By that, often activated connections increase their intensity. Though not as powerful as a cocaine hit, positive social interactions similarly lead to strengthened connections. Therefore, rewarding social stimuli, such as smileys, pictures, or likes, intensify the dopamine pathways. This neurological process keeps us addicted to apps like Snapchat, just as it would to cocaine and slot machines. (Haynes, 2018)

To answer the question from my title, Snapchat and cocaine equally lead to an addictive dopamine release. And software designers are taking advantage of this circuit.

Apps are intentionally designed to keep us addicted

Companies earn money for the amount of time we spend on their apps. To maximize this time, software designers learn how to gain our attention and orchestrate our timelines (Harris, 2017). To create software that attracts us on a primal level, several user-binding psychological principles have emerged (Neyman, 2017).

Social Reciprocity
The first principle takes advantage of the dopamine rush we experience whenever we engage in successful social interactions. We are satisfied as we get likes on Instagram since it works as a social reward. (Neyman, 2017)

Infinite Scrolling
This principle occurs in several apps, such as TikTok and Instagram. Virtually, there is no end to the content, which makes us consume much more than we intentionally would. YouTube utilizes another type of infinite scrolling, as videos you might like are auto-played. (Neyman, 2017)

The Illusion of Choice
Designers can control our choices through the layout of apps. For example, the online booking platform Trip Advisor only shows a limited selection of hotels. This makes us browse for a longer time and with more effort. This principle is also applied as the algorithms of Google influences the search results we see. (Neyman, 2017)

User Investment
As we are involved in building something, it becomes more valuable for us. Apps apply this principle by creating social connections such as friends and followers. You would probably not delete Instagram because you already gained followers. (Neyman, 2017) 

The status quo of software design has to be changed

Those persuasive strategies are highly problematic because they steer us to waste our precious time on our phones. However, changing the status quo and preventing designers to apply such user-binding principles is not that simple. At the moment, software suppliers want to maximize the time we spend on the app, which is a problem that needs to be addressed on a system level. We need a new, ethical approach to designing with radical changes in the tech industry. Instead of making us spend as much time as possible on software, designers should respect our boundaries. Apps and social media software have to be optimized for our conscious human preferences. In the future, as designers create software, they have to consider human values and needs. (Harris, 2017)

Even going further, software design could empower us in doing what we desire. Let us assume your dinner date was canceled last minute. As you might feel lonely, you open Instagram. Infinite scrolling maximizes the time you spend on the app, even if this is not what you consciously want, nor what makes you happy. Instead, you would rather spend time with people you like. What if Instagram would use their data to help you acquire your conscious desire? Imagine your friends receive an automated message that invites them over for dinner. (Harris, 2014)

Unfortunately, such a human-centered approach to software design is still far in the future. So in the meantime, it is up to you to break the loop of addiction.

How to reduce your phone usage

By reading this blog entry, you already completed the first step to tackle the problem, which is to understand that we are highly persuadable. Once you comprehend that our minds can be scheduled differently from our intentions, you can try to change them (Harris, 2017). Knowing that several user-binding design principles exist will make you more resistant to fall for them. For example, if you know that “Snapscores” are created to trick you into sending empty messages back and forth, you can quit easier. But in addition to this awareness, other tangible steps can help you reduce your screen time.

Mute your phone
Every time we are interrupted, it takes us about 23 minutes to refocus our attention. Even worse, regular external interruptions train bad habits and condition us to interrupt ourselves: we self-interrupt about all 3.5 minutes. Muting your phone will help you to stay focused. (Harris, 2014)

Turn off unnecessary notifications
Any notification that does not come from a co-worker or friend who needs your attention in real-time is not important. Turn off notifications from apps that are not related to communication from real people, such as games or newspapers. (Becker, n.d.)

Create active “off-time” and “-space”
You can actively set limits on your phone usage. This can be done by putting your phone away for a certain period of time each day. This is even more effective as you create phone-free spaces, such as your bedroom. Another popular approach among friends is a phone stack at dinner. Everyone puts their phone on top of each other. The first one to check theirs has to pay for the drinks.

Use physical versions of apps
As you unlock your smartphone to use the calculator, you may feel seduced to check your Instagram feed. Avoid this problem by replacing certain apps with physical tools. For instance, instead of reading online, stick to paperback books. Moreover, using a real alarm clock might avoid you from spending time on your phone after you wake up or before you go to bed. The goal is to prevent yourself from unlocking your phone as much as possible. (Akkawi, 2018)

Turn your phone to black and white
It is proven that colors are attached to priorities and emotions. As you see the little red notification bubble, you are triggered to immediately check it. You can reduce the urge to view your new notifications by switching your phone to greyscale. (Akkawi, 2018)

Receive your dopamine rush from healthy activity
As we just learned, using social media releases dopamine. However, you can also reach the brain’s reward system with other, healthier activities. Sports, meditation, and other mindfulness activities lead to a natural dopamine release. They can even reduce the craving for the dopamine rushes your phone provides. (Akkawi, 2018)

Hopefully, these techniques will help you manage and reduce your phone usage. Because at the end of the day, our most valuable possession is our attention and time. And now that you are at the end of my blog, I hope you consider doing a yoga session instead of checking your phone.

Author: Alexandra Infanger

Sources

Akkawi, Y. (2018, May 31). 7 Ways to Curb Your Smartphone Addiction Right Now. Inc.com; Inc. https://www.inc.com/yazin-akkawi/7-ways-to-curb-your-smartphone-addiction-right-now.html

Becker, J. (n.d.). Cell Phone Addiction: 7 Proven Ways to Break Your Habit. Becomingminimalist.com. https://www.becomingminimalist.com/break-your-cell-phone-habit/

Harris, T. (2014). How better tech could protect us from distraction. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_how_better_tech_could_protect_us_from_distraction

Harris, T. (2017). How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_how_a_handful_of_tech_companies_control_billions_of_minds_every_day#t-494713

Haynes, T. (2018, May 1). Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time. Harvard University. https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/

INC Statista. (2017). Daily time spent on social networking by internet users worldwide from 2012–2017 (in minutes). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/

Neyman, C. (2017). A Survey of Addictive Software Design (p. 12) [Survey]. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1127&context=cscsp

Noë, B., Turner, L. D., Linden, D. E. J., Allen, S. M., Winkens, B., & Whitaker, R. M. (2019). Identifying Indicators of Smartphone Addiction Through User-App T Interaction (p. 9) [Article].

 

 

 

Challenging times – for whom?

“2020 will be remembered as an extremely challenging and unpredictable year for all of us“ is a sentence that most of us have heard countless times and probably never want to hear again. As generic and somewhat ignorant the sentence is, it started a conversation for me and many others. It calls on us to reflect about who is most affected by the pandemic, how these implications look, and at the same time encourages us to think deeply about our communal and social structures. Even though 2020 was challenging for everyone, certain already marginalized groups were disproportionally affected by the pandemic, hence it was more “challenging“. Especially Black, Asian, Indigenous, and queer people faced higher risks associated with intersecting discrimination, stigma, isolation, inequity, and mental health problems. As a queer-identifying person myself this realization raised all kinds of questions: Where and how does stigma interfere with access to resources and opportunities? How are my peers and I stigmatized at University? Why is inequity highlighted by the pandemic? Even though I am incapable of answering all of these questions, it is crystal clear that the times of stigma in the form of racism, homophobia and transphobia are not yet behind us. To answer the introduction question, yes these are challenging times in so many ways for so many different people. The stigma many groups have already experienced before the pandemic certainly does not help in the fight for equity.

Defining stigma

This is why I have decided to write this post about this specific topic and explore how queer students can be de-stigmatized in higher education in Switzerland and how design can be strategically employed. The goal of such an endeavor would be to build queer resilience and strengthen not only the LGBTQIA+ community but campus communities through diversity in general. Resilience in such a context describes the abilities of social entities to tolerate, absorb, cope with, and adjust to environmental and social threats of various kinds. The first step in this journey is defining stigma and capturing the problem. According to Wikipedia, social stigma describes the discrimination against a person or group based on perceivable social characteristics that serve to distinguish said people from other members of society. Stigma most commonly occurs in relation with culture, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and disabilities. In my case, as a queer person, I have experienced different kinds of stigma. Not all stigma is necessarily extremely damaging and hurtful, as it for example entails harmless assumptions such as that queer people are good at (and interested in) fashion and shopping. One might argue that this is not necessarily discriminatory, I argue that it erases all other character traits and reduces a person to a commonly associated stereotype. Reducing people to a certain social trait or „tokenizing“ them is also considered as stigmatizing. However, the stigmas that actually actively spark discrimination and exclusion are the fundamentally degrading views a lot of people believe and communicate. These ideologies are often related to moral inferiority of queer people, queerness as a mental illness, invalid masculinity of gay men, and a connection to predation, perversion and pedophilia. The existence of such ideologies raises the question of how queer people are influenced by these views. Because proportionally a lot of people still believe this in one way or another, fundamental ideologies are often integrated structurally in social systems. This leaves the stigma as a social mechanism with the objective of nesting itself into all members of such a system. Interestingly enough, stigma is internalized firstly by the perpetrators, but a core quality is that it is even internalized by the people it targets, the victims.

The forms of stigma

Internalized stigma, especially among LGBTQIA+ youth, leads to a disproportionate negative effect on mental health, physiological well-being and social inclusion. In relation to universities, stigma can be categorized in two domains: The first one being the campus climate, the second one describing the identity forming aspects of university. The campus climate is not necessarily hostile in Switzerland but stigma and „othering“ perpetrated by peers a can definitely interfere with learning. Secondly, it is a well-known fact that university is a space that has a positive influence on identity development for adolescents. The lack of visibility of queer topics in the curriculum and the lack of queer friendly safe spaces further establish a heteronormative environment that can have a detrimental impact on many students and their learning. This kind of experience demonstrates how stigma is intentionally aimed at social exclusion, meaning LGBTQIA+ people are made invisible and lack recognition as full members of a community. The main objective of stigma is to homogenize a society and establish (white) heteronormativity as the default. Stigmas are weaponized ideological value systems used to assert dominance by the already privileged dominant population. This dynamic is visible globally in suicide statistics among queer youth. In my experience, this internalized stigma and fear of being stigmatized has led queer students to add subtle but profound changes to the day-to-day life such as being careful and/or vague while talking about relationships, avoiding certain social situations, making specific decisions about where to study, work and live, changing the way they dress, speak and walk, and avoiding certain areas to name a few. This is mainly based on my personal experience and experiences from other queer students I have talked to. I am sure every queer person experiences different situations and different levels and aspects of discrimination. However, this fact highlights an additional problem space that is a huge barrier in the de-stigmatization process.

The immeasurability of stigma

Every design solution needs to be based on evidence and research. Research is based on data and data is based on measurable indicators. While researching for this post, I realized that the research body on queer students and the stigma they face is extremely scarce. While further researching the stigma term and discrimination theories, it became clear that stigma is experienced on extremely individual levels and everyone associates different feelings and inequalities with it and of course handles it differently. Stigma is something that happens on many more levels than just behavior. The lack of observable behavior renders researchers incapable of defining clear and cohesive indicators. The absence of indicators makes it incredible hard to quantitatively measure discrimination experiences and therefore virtually no statistics or studies exist. The immeasurability makes it challenging, but not impossible so why is there still virtually no research? Paradoxically it can be assumed that the stigma attached to the topic is a significant factor as to why no research exists. It raises the question whether researchers are aware of the topic, if they do not care or actively chose not to, and what would be an incentive to conduct research in the first place. However, I think it is apparent that without any evidence, proposing a design solution is extremely difficult if not impossible.

Different problems require different solutions

Effectively, we are dealing with a deeply human and social issue here that can and probably should not be measured quantitatively but rather empathetically in a qualitative manner. The fact that discrimination is experienced on such an individual level can be turned into a fruitful opportunity. It pushes (higher education) institutions to understand the problems their queer students face in the specific context. A specific understanding obviously enables the facilitation of a specific solution, which is generally more effective than a generic cookie-cutter solution. I hope you were not looking for a concise and fully developed solution as this post is rather a call for action based on a general approach. It is a call for universities to take responsibility, to listen and to acknowledge that equity has not yet been reached to its full extent. Most importantly, it is a call to integrate and include all people and give them the same voice other students have. So inevitably it raises the fundamental question, how an inclusive campus environment on various dimensions can be created and what information is needed.

Participation and inclusive campus environments

In 2021 it is well established  knowledge that diversity in the classroom benefits the greater learning process of all students. As a goal for Swiss universities, 6 of the 9 core goals of Universal design, as defined by Pliner and Johnson (2004), can be applied: Equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive, tolerance for error, a community of learners and instructional climate. I believe reaching these goals is only possible through actively enabling students to participate in the design of the educational structures. This is where the power of design for participation comes in. The core quality of participatory design (more commonly referred to as co-design) is that it paves the way for co-creation and engagement with communities to address local issues. This directly relates to the lack of adequate research. It is well-known that participatory design, that centers around humans and their individual experience, is an anti-thesis to the conventional design term, which portrays the designer as some sort of omniscient expert. Participation is not limited to conventional design practices; the same way we have moved away from the traditional design term we need to move away from the traditional education institution and policymaker term. They are not omniscient but rather depend on the inputs of their end-users, the students. This is based on a belief that the environment and all its constituents work better if the people affected by its changes are directly and actively involved in its creation and management. This imposes a final question: How can we create the base ground to allow for such a participatory approach in Swiss universities?

Facilitating change

The key to facilitating participation, is to acknowledge that neither the designer nor the user is in the center. It is the collective community. Universities need to look at the composition of their specific communities: Who is a part of it? Students? Professors? Residents? Exchange students? To conduct such an analysis and to develop the design solution altogether the establishment of a taskforce is almost necessary. How said taskforces look, depends on the constituents of each specific university. I recommend including design facilitators, policymakers, institution representatives, educators and students alike. Once all the constituents are defined, a discourse needs to be initiated. This discourse is central to the solution, but it can take place in various forms: It can be focus groups, workshops, co-design sessions, panel discussions and gamified sessions. Regardless of the method, each participant needs to be involved equally as the goal is to construct a democratic solution. The goal of such a discourse is the identification of specific problems queer students face, the definition of unfulfilled needs and the exploration of current structures. Participatory design is aimed at the empowerment of the constituents. By allowing them to bring in their tacit knowledge, they feel heard and feel like they can contribute. In conclusion, there are three challenges when it comes to participation. Firstly, the Taskforce needs to build a structure supported by processes and methods adequate to the context. This structure is centered around elevating the participants to become actively involved designers in the co-design process. Secondly, the solutions developed by the participants need to be implemented appropriately. This implementation needs to be supported by the regulators, but the constituents are still main actors. The third challenge is sustaining change and meta designing. Meta design is a conceptual framework that acknowledges that future uses cannot be completely anticipated in the initial design. It aims to re-design the initial design approach and re-evaluate the implications. This third challenge is key to keep the environment inclusive and queer-friendly, as the needs keep changing and evolving and it is important to stay critical. However, each solution is dependent on the specific universities, but it is clear that participatory action needs to be taken in this field in order to change the current situation.

Written by Noah Büchel

Sources:

http://urbanresiliencehub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Social-Resilience-Guide-SMALL-Spreads-1.pdf

https://books.google.ch/books?hl=en&lr=&id=opndN6irEVsC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=design+participation&ots=9E7Az0UP3V&sig=Cp_04etSLrtvFWfO9917ta_yosw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=design%20participation&f=false

https://jods.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/design-as-participation/release/1

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21665095.2021.1884112

https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1408103/FULLTEXT01.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigma

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED530463.pdf

 

 

 

Photo by Leon on Unsplash

Abstract

Why do you learn Design Management? Rather than business administration or product design? In this fast-paced tech generation (AI, Digital formation, and 4th industrial revolution), we are required to have multiple skills, knowledge and experiences which can not be substituted by a machine or robot.

The biggest advantage of Design Management is that you can learn a variety of study from Marketing to UX Design means you have many options for your career and benefit you great performance for your job position and eventually you can be a hero from design division to business division at the company.

In this article, we will discover the best reasons why you should learn Design Management for your career.

Objective

To gives the audience a powerful reason to learn design management and new perspective and inspiration for considering their future career.

Contents

1. 1. You can learn the skills of the future (that AI or Robot could never do)
   2. You can fit any kinds of job position
   3. You can become a good problem-solver
   4. You can boost your self-development, take a leadership
   5. You can have the potential for a good salary

 

1. You can learn the skills of the future (that AI or Robot could never do)

While technology makes our daily working tasks simplify and automate, which increases productivity, its development speed is rapid so that can be threatening to our future job.

An Adjunct Professor at Stanford University and Co-Founder of Coursera Andrew Ng, described “If a typical person can do a mental task with less than one second of thought, we can probably automate it using AI either now or in the near future.”

What are our advantages as a human? We are organic creature, have sense, feeling, emotion, empathy, and dynamic own life while the machine does not have any of them. When you want to gain some new skills, it is good to keep in mind is identifying what we can do better than machines and not better than machines and make use of our all-natural benefits.

In the Design Management study, Research, Ideation, Mapping, Prototyping and implementation, In any phase, we always apply the design thinking approach.

Tim Brown, the executive chair of IDEO says “Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.”

The design thinking approach has huge potential. To improve organization, products, service and any processes from the human point of view. Since this can not be automated by AI or machine, it’s not a one-day-effort skill, take some time to understand and apply.

However, building such long term approach skills helps you to easily adapt to your future creative job.

2. You can fit any kinds of job position

Andrew Ng also says “the biggest harm that AI is likely to do to individuals in the short term is job displacement, as the amount of work we can automate with AI is vastly bigger than before”. Therefore, the competition in the job market will become more intense in the future, and it will be difficult to find a job.

But don’t worry about it. If you learn Design Management, you have a chance to able to work in a variety of industries. You could, for example, work for a web design agency for educational institutions or even the government. The job position would be also many options you have.

Here is the example of the job title:

• • Design Manager
  • Product Manager
  • Brand Manager
  • UX Designer
  • Creative Director
  • Design Researcher
  • Marketing & Communication
  • Business Development
  • Public Relations
  • Graphic Designer
  • Visual interaction designer　　　… and so on

If you have many kinds of job options means you are able to increase your chances of getting a job. And that helps you to survive in a competitive job market.

3. You can become a good problem-solver

Problem-solving is essential skills in both workplace and personal situations. In the workplace, or even any your daily situation, you always encounter problems.

To deal with this, the author of the bestselling book, Scott Halford says “Get them in the habit of always bringing at least one solution idea for every problem you identify.” Good problem-solving skill makes you come up with effective solutions and gain the confidence to face any kinds of problems from a daily basis to big challenges.

In design Management, we constantly address the problem in both practices and theory. By applying design thinking, human-centred approach, user research, and create a strategic solution in an innovative way. Therefore, you are able to acquire problem-solving skills by addressing study cases systematically.

For the benefits of acquiring the problem-solving skill, you are able to:

• • Become confident for any negative consequences
  • Gain skills to understand and analyse the situation
  • Discover a new exciting opportunity
  • Apply strategic solution
  • Gain interpersonal skill

Great problem solvers are also great facilitators. They use their communication skills to help others share the ideas so all bases are covered. They then encourage people to work together outside their respective roles so the sum is greater than the parts.

Joseph Folkman says “Excellent problem solvers build networks and know-how to collaborate with other people and teams.” That also helps you with job finding.

“Problem-solving is a skill that pays handsomely.
Practice the steps so that you become efficient at them.”
(Scott H, 2010)

4. You can boost your leadership, personal development

When you’re working, if you really need some help from colleagues but all other team members are so busy for other project and unmotivated for your project, how are you willing to handle? 

Leadership is a skill complementary to design management roles that spark both personal and business growth and maximise your value. And allows you to know how to gather the right people, resources, budget and knowledge from trained experiences. 

You must be willing to set a clear vision and motivate people to work together. Being honest and trust will enhance effective communication and lead to better decision-making and a feeling of inclusiveness and ownership for all involved. These skills can propel your career trajectory. If you have confidence in leadership, most people would want to work for you.

Additionally, leadership also will make your personal situation better. Organizing from small party to group journey, or asking for support. You are able to make your spare time enrich, communicate smoothly and strengthen the bonds well with your family, partner, friends and colleagues.

„The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.“
(Faye W, 2021)

5. You can have the potential for a good salary

Since design management ranges from the tactical management of corporate design functions and processes, thus, has potential in any businesses and industry, and high demand for this design management position.

According to The Payscale, the largest salary database in the world, the average salary for a Design Manager is 111,504 CHF per year in Switzerland.

The average salary for other related design management position is:

• • Brand Manager: 105,765 CHF
  • Product manager: 103,364 CHF
  • Creative Director: 101,857 CHF
  • Marketing Manager: 90,830 CHF
  • UX designer: 86,638 CHF
  • Graphic designer: 63,370 CHF
    (PayScale, 2021)
    

Which is more important for your job? A high salary or job satisfaction? A good salary can lead to job satisfaction and earning enough to make a living is important, but they aren’t the only reason people find satisfaction in their jobs.

It’s important to pursue a field that gives you personal happiness because if you can obtain good pay, but you are not happy, then there’s no point.

However, a good salary is also of prime importance in choosing your job. As mentioned above, you might have many kinds of job option. So you can compare the salary of these job titles, and have a chance to get a good position with a good salary.

Author: Kaho Sakuta

 

References

• • Halford, S. (2010, November 12). How to Become a Master Problem Solver. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217516
  • IDEO Design Thinking. (2021). IDEO | Design
    Thinking.https://designthinking.ideo.com/
  • Llopis, G. (2013, November 27). The 4 Most Effective Ways Leaders Solve Problems. Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/11/04/the-4-most-effective-ways-leaders-solve-problems/?sh=5940961a4f97
  • Marr, B. (2018, August 6). 7 Job Skills Of The Future (That AIs And Robots Can’t Do Better Than Humans). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/08/06/7-job-skills-of-the-future-that-ais-and-robots-cant-do-better-than-humans/?sh=68baaf1a6c2e
  • Panel®, E. (2020, July 20). 14 Critical First Steps To Solving A Problem. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/07/16/14-critical-first-steps-to-solving-a-problem/?sh=2b407ebe1cc4
  • Pira, A. (2020, January 28). 5 Ways to Sharpen Your Problem-Solving Skills. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/2020/01/28/5-ways-to-sharpen-your-problem-solving-skills/?sh=35e0852943b9
  • What is Design Management? (2021). Design Management Institute. https://www.dmi.org/page/What_is_Design_Manag
  • Faye Wattleton Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/faye_wattleton_131845

By Lital Brushtein

Published on April 9, 2021

Photograph by Muniz Joel

Thoughts about traveling and volunteering experiences from a design management perspective. Redesign how to onboard volunteers and co-create value.

Many have asked me if I am writing this post because I was volunteering during my travels, but it is the other way around. Although traveling the world was without a doubt one of the most valuable, enriching, and special experiences in my life, it was an ongoing challenge to authentically connect to my journey destinations. Looking back, volunteering would have made it much more profound.

4 years later, I’ve decided to explore the remaining question- why didn’t I volunteer? As designers, we learn that almost nothing is accidental. The human experience is about constantly going through simulations. When we design those simulations, we can influence our behavior, mood, well-being, relationships, and decision-making.

One of the key challenges facing volunteer coordinators is to transform a potentially interested person into a committed volunteer. I decided to examine how volunteer organizations could improve the recruiting experience and as a result raise more people’s motivation to volunteer while traveling.

Are you an allocentric or a psychocentric tourist?

To understand how to reach different vocational volunteer types, I looked at a 2008 study by Brown (2008) which puts travelers on a scale according to their psychological characteristics. At one end of the continuum are psycho-allocentric tourists and at the other end psycho-centric tourists. The psycho-allocentric are explorers and adventure seekers, who tend to choose remote and untouched (by tourists) destinations. This group seems to be natural for volunteering practice. The Middle-centric are likely to display characteristics of a limited adventurer, but they want home comforts. As this group represents the mass tourist market, the volunteer organizations should communicate more about the support and facilities that volunteers receive during their practice. The Psycho-centric dislike destinations that offer unfamiliarity or insecurity. It is suggested that the psychocentric is dominated by safety needs.

Research by Handy and Cnaan (2007) suggests that social anxiety is one of the main barriers for potential volunteers and is mainly triggered by unfamiliar places. Another trigger for social anxiety is to enter into a group of people who seem to be already well connected, which is many times the case in volunteering projects

I won’t be surprised if all 3 groups experience some levels of social anxiety around the volunteering topic. I would personally allocate myself in the psycho-allocentric group and yet have experienced anxiety thinking about volunteering. In that case, why won’t volunteer organizations communicate more openly about the experience they are offering? Most people can intuitively describe the experience of a hotel stay or sight-seeing tour, even if they never attend one, but fewer can accurately describe how a day of a volunteer looks like.

To understand better what they should focus on, I’ve decided to explore why volunteers evaluate the volunteer component of the vacation as the highlight of the total vacation experience, what is it about helping others that is so satisfying, and how does it impact the experience of traveling.

The best self-retreat is Altruism

Personal growth, self-actualization, self-enrichment, feelings of accomplishment, enhancement of self-image, and self-expression. Those are many ways to talk about a very fundamental connection we can bind, and it is the connection to ourselves. Unfortunately, many times our modern mode of existence is too stressful and full of rigid schedules, which makes us lose this connection. This is a call for a break, to pack our bags and travel where we can reflect on our lives from a new perspective.

So we start making an inspiration board on Pinterest, reading recommendations on Trip advisor, and comparing prices on Booking.com. But how many of us go to check for volunteering projects? When interviewed, volunteers frequently report that volunteering was the most valuable component in their trip for personal growth. Tuan Nguyen, a philanthropist and entrepreneur who dedicates his life to volunteerism, says in his public speech (2014) that gratitude, passion, creativity, efficiency, confidence, leadership skills, courage, positive outlook are the main learning one can gain from volunteering. He also points out that the network one can build from volunteering is of unique human quality, as altruism opens people to truly listen, and therefore, give true and honest advice on how to discover our full potential. With the right communication campaign and partnering with traveling agencies, Volunteer organizations could be easily included in our options list.

The path for authenticity 

Another way in which volunteer organizations could approach us better is by communicating about our seek for authenticity and Heritage. As tourists, we have the mission to make the best out of our given time and budget, and for many of us, exploring the local culture is one of the top priorities.

Culture without its people is like a recipe without the ingredients to cook from. Many travelers get a mixed feeling when discovering local cultures through the typical tourism platforms, especially when the local traditions are offered in an ornamented yet phony way, trying to satisfy the foreign estimated expectations, and of course, reach their pockets.

On the other hand, the goal of volunteering is primarily about reaching out to the less privileged locals and seeing them as they are. No matter how tourist attractions claim to be authentic, there is no way they can beat the authenticity of meeting the local people and address their real problems. Perhaps it means to witness the ugly truth of poverty, but it also means to witness unique beauty, resilience and learn about what is the meaning of life in other cultures. Visiting the ancient temples, rafting in the local river, or tasting the traditional meals will feel different after renovating the village ruined houses, saving wildlife, and teaching the local children math and English.

Where your friends are

Meaningful Friendships are crucial for our well-being but not always easy to find. Common interests can be a good integrating mechanism for friendships, and often like-minded people find each other in relation to their education, career, and hobbies. But it gets tricky once you are a tourist. During my backpacking trip in South East Asia, it seemed to me that travelers would come up with any excuse and conversation starter to find out rather there are potential friendships around the corner, and many times after finding the “click”, travelers had to split and go to other directions according to their previous plans.

When asking volunteers, one of their major motivations for volunteering is seeking camaraderie, and indeed, there are numerous stories of amazing friendships emerging while volunteering. I don’t know how they came up with this idea, but what I do know is that their stories can inspire many people. That is why they should become the ambassadors of such projects and produce and share documentaries on Instagram, YouTube, and even Netflix.

They should also take part in info days and share their stories in a friendly and informal atmosphere, so the participants can get an idea of which kind of people share their values and can immediately feel empowered to take the next step.

Design voluntourism is a purely social design 

The way we communicate about the relationship between traveling and volunteering is only the first step to make volunteering more attractive, raise a sense of global responsibility and create a social change. However, there are many more questions to be answered before launching new strategies and communication campaigns. This is only a short research and ideation exercise of one design management student, but I hope it was enough to inspire about the hidden potential in the volunteer recruiting experience.

I find the practice of design in fields like voluntourism especially fascinating because it is my way as a designer to contribute to society. Being the best version of ourselves is how we can also best contribute to others, and volunteering seems to be a very valuable practice for both. Volunteering on a global scale is essential for creating a sense of interconnection between all of us, planet earth habitants. It’s an educational activity that has a lot of power to open the western to the reality of far and untouchable lands.

What is fast fashion and how is it affecting us
Extremely low awareness of moral and environmental issues seems to be most common and widely practiced among one of the largest industries worldwide – The fashion and textile industry. The marketing approach, i.e. to create and sell large quantities of clothes in a short amount of time, results in the phenomenon of fast fashion. The term describes clothing influenced by catwalk trends, mass-produced for a low price and made available to customers extremely quickly by fast fashion brands.

A vast number of new collections are released every year, making us feel out of date and encouraging us to buy the very latest. Additionally, the quality of fast fashion clothes is mostly very low and thus the life cycle extremely short. This again results in the activity of buying more and more new clothes very often.

Fast fashion has a major environmental impact, it is actually allegedly the second largest polluter, after the leading oil industry. Firstly, the manufacturing of textile and clothes uses and pollutes an unimaginable big amount of water, for dyeing and the end process (e.g. for a single T-shirt approximately 3’000 liters are needed). Furthermore, many textile factories all over the world dump their toxic waste waters directly into the nearest river, lake or sea. In these toxic waste waters, substances are extremely harmful for life in water, as they are for life on land, through the evaporation. Once in the water, it is also spread globally.

Another huge impact of the fashion industry are the greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. Because of the energy used in production, distribution, and transportation, this is the case.

All of the above mentioned effects caused by fast fashion have a unimaginably great negative impact on the environment – also knowing that the list is incomplete. Nevertheless, as the problem and its origin as such are identified, I believe there can and must be something done about it! Finding and contributing to solutions to problems is not only for corporates and governments to implement, also the last element in the economic cycle, the individual consumer, can take a stand and make a difference!

The problem of the fast fashion industry is paralyzing and overwhelming. You might ask yourself: how will my individual contribution make a difference? The most important aspect is to talk with people, to raise your voice and to raise awareness! Contribute step by step and win more and more like-minded, by pointing out the unfortunately long-lasting design problem – by also offering new aspects and insights of fashion consumption. Help to make “fair and sustainable” the best label fashion can get! Who knows –  one day, it may become socially inacceptable and outlawed to wear clothes that were produced in a harmful way for people and planet, as described, similar as in the fur industry.

The initial step is to raise and increase awareness in a continuous way. I believe concrete suggestions on how you can contribute can help as a first step. My focus is on what you can do as an individual!

Introduction Fashion Revolution
Fortunately, more and more organizations are concerned with this topic and have initiated activities. I would like to introduce a Swiss organization that aims to collectively create a better fashion industry:

“Fashion Revolution Switzerland” is a national representation of the International Fashion Revolution movement, that draws attention to these existing problems in the fast fashion industry. The organizations credo is to support and strengthen ethical and sustainable fashion and to share their knowledge on how this can be achieved without economical downsides. They align themselves in such a way that the interest and passion of fashion should not be lost but should be approached differently. They are dedicated to make fashion an active force for the good, allowing it to thrive in harmony with individuals, the environment and the economy. Fashion Revolution wants to launch a movement that dramatically alters the way clothes are made, purchased, and worn, in order to establish clean, fair and healthy clothes. Fashion Revolution also pursues the transparency through the entire supply chain, knowing that this is the first and most important step towards the aimed transition.

Fashion Revolution brings a range of stakeholders to the table, in order to promote a paradigm change towards sustainable and fair fashion, while enabling individuals to contribute to the improvement. “Get Changed – The Fair Fashion Network”, “Mode Suisse” and “Ecos + Swissfairtrade” are some of them worth mentioning. Their activities focus on and consider different aspects, such as fair and sustainable brands, brands and shops with certificates, support of local designers and suppliers, sustainability in the design scene or partnerships with manufacturers, NGOs, government representatives and textile specialists.

Raising Awareness
Fashion Revolution wakes up the reader with somewhat shocking, unglossy hard facts. They point out the failures and evil deeds of the fast fashion industry, such as the abuse of the environment and of young workers in the production process – all with the only ultimate goals to sell more and more clothes at cheaper prices. Fashion Revolution exposes our consumption as one of the main drivers of the environmental disaster and for the suffering of the people making our clothes.

They publish several facts I believe are worth reading, regarding the problem of raw materials, abysmal working conditions and our degenerated consumption. They educate and increase awareness about the working conditions in the fashion industry, and present equitable and green initiatives and brands to buy, as well as options for a better use of apparel. This is a crucial step for a change! They empower and encourage people to change their consuming and shopping behaviors, to get more actively involved and become part of the solution, and not only act as a consumer. In open forum talks, exhibitions and workshops they created a platform of exchange, in order to pass on their knowledge. Finally, to give sustainable Swiss actors in the fashion industry a platform, they have established a very promising cooperation and network with them that allows both sides to thrive.

Contribution of Individuals
Fashion Revolution provides several fashion hacks for people who want to enjoy fashion sustainability, which I want to present some of them. They show how to keep styles clean and fair, and offer a platform where you can voice your opinion and demand more responsibility from fashion companies. They also point out the importance to start in a controlled and firstly small manner, and to pursue things steps by step. Worth mentioning: these hacks are for everyone and not limited to fashion for a specific age, gender, size or style, which I find extremely important!

1. 1. Stop before you shop
      Fashion Revolution raises also questions you may want to ask yourself before your next shopping. Somewhat contradictory to “shopping” in the first place, but definitely a crucial first step is to ask yourself: “do I really need this, is it reasonable and necessary?” Westwood once said: Buy less, choose well, make it last.

1. 2. Upcycling
      It is not always important for new fashion to be fresh off the rack. Creative ideas are in high demand as well, and there are endless ways and opportunities to upcycle clothes: Dyeing, modifying, combining and shortening. Furthermore, Fashion Revolution links several places for courses and implementation in several Swiss cities. This is, in my opinion, a new market waiting to be conquered.

1. 3. Who made my clothes?
      As already mentioned, Fashion Revolution motivates people to question the origin of their clothes and thus demand transparency. This might be the most important and impactful hack, since many people are not aware where their clothes are from.
      It is difficult for customers and consumers to follow supply chains, let alone even know where to reliably get that kind of information. To contribute to this aspect, Fashion Revolution invites people to actively engage in finding out where their clothes are made. Not only through the hashtag #whomademyclothes,  but also to drive people to reach out to their favorite brands and address the question – both instore and online. This is a very important approach, since hopefully stores and brands recognize the change in their customer’s mindset – and try to adapt accordingly. Direct confrontation might result in an active change.

1. 4. Fair and environmentally conscious production
      Another hack is to support transparent and fair brands and make a difference with the choice of clothes. Not only with regards to sustainability, moreover also in terms of social fairness and fair working conditions. Many brands claim that their conduct, attitude and activities towards more sustainability and fairness are of utmost importance in their business ethics, while reality often actually proves the opposite. Therefore, it is important to remain attentive and persistent. To find out more about a brand, while certifications are hard to keep track with, Fashion Revolution provides an overview of the most important and reliable certificates. Promoting fair and environmentally production is also possible through supporting local stores and brands.

1. 5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
      Fashion Revolution also promotes the principle “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!”. Reducing, by only buying things you really need. Reusing, by preferring second hand and vintage shops, as well as patching. And, recycling, by avoiding textile waste.

1. 6. The reduction of online shopping
      What I felt is missing on the Fashion Revolution platform is the aspect of online shopping. The rise and victory march of online shopping over the past years added negative effects on the environment, and, in some cases, on the people working for these companies. Online shopping literally feeds the here addressed problem of fast fashion. It has never been easier to order cheap clothes on the internet and get them delivered in 24 hours. The high energy consumption for the transportation and delivery process adds to the problem. Thus, all herein mentioned hacks are also applicable to online shopping.

– Alisha-Lou

Sources
https://zerrin.com/the-problems-with-fast-fashion/
https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts
https://www.fashionrevolution.ch/uber-uns
https://www.fashionrevolution.ch/handeln
https://www.fashionrevolution.ch/fakten
https://www.fashionrevolution.ch/whomademyclothes
http://www.labelinfo.ch/de/labels?group=42
https://www.fashionrevolution.ch/reduce-reuse-recycle