Civic Understanding and Action
A Study of Increasing Young Adult Civic Participation in Local Elections through Social Political Roleplaying: An Interactive Game Development, Denizen View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session EunSook Kwon, Chae Eun Park
Local elections suffer from the lowest voter turnout across the United States despite these elections holding major influence in residents' daily lives. Additionally, young and voting-aged adults have different frameworks for understanding and engaging with politics from previous generations. This is rooted in their reliance on trusted personal networks in an age of information as well as their waning interest in traditional political institutions. This study utilizes survey and qualitative interview data to examine how young, voting-aged adults (ages 18-29) are motivated and discouraged to engage civically. Through iterative testing, we explored how interactive games help encourage them to become more involved in their local elections by demystifying the perceived hostility of politics, helping them learn more about their local environment, and fostering a cooperative model of civic engagement based on guided scenarios. A tabletop game, Denizen, was developed to help facilitate political discussions among young adults and help them learn more about local issues. The outcomes of this study underscore the importance of utilizing new engagement methods for young adults to re-engage them in traditional electoral duties. It also highlights the importance of knowledge-building and developing political expertise in improving civic motivation.
Designing Inconspicuous Social Inclusion at the Neighbourhood Level: Findings from a Pilot Programme View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Justin Lee, Aishwarya Kunte
Community inclusion efforts are mainly centre-based and driven by professionals. Doing inclusion can also be tricky: so-called inclusive practices can be perceived to be patronising or even oppressive. It is perplexing to those trying to help when they unwittingly get accused of doing harm. Can inclusion be achieved inconspicuously and unremarkably without calling out the marginalised identities of those you are trying to include? We take on this social design challenge by forming and supporting small groups to integrate marginalised individuals (e.g. people with disabilities and isolated seniors) into the communal life of their local neighbourhood. The solution is anchored by local walking tours, which creates an experience which does not feel like a social programme but is actually highly intentional in its design. First, a ‘target of inclusion’ is asked to show the group around their neighbourhood and this walkabout acts as a kind of unobtrusive ‘needs assessment’ and ‘accessibility audit’. Next, neighbourhood tours for all are organised with pit-stops at different community hosts (social service agency, business, church etc.) and this acts as a kind of inconspicuous ‘community asset mapping’ without having to formally conduct such an exercise. We share findings on the outcomes, implementation challenges and implications for community building.
Featured Designing for Disaster: Designing Adaptable Furniture that Aids People During Floods View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sukriti Singh
This project examines the issue of floods in metropolitan cities, focusing on their devastating impacts. Flooding is a severe event that leads to loss of life, environmental destruction, and economic disruption. According to the 2021 Global Natural Disaster Report by the National School of Security in Beijing, natural disasters claimed 10,492 lives worldwide that year, with floods accounting for the largest portion—4,393 deaths, or 41.87% of the total. In India, floods annually affect an average of 7.5 million hectares of land, claiming 1,600 lives, and causing damage to crops, homes, and public infrastructure amounting to Rs. 1,805 crores (NDMA). Floods also cause extensive damage to infrastructure, including buildings, transportation systems, and public spaces, exacerbating economic losses. Among this damage is the destruction of furniture and interior products, which often end up as debris, obstructing rescue operations. This project explores whether furniture can be designed into products that help people during disasters, rather than contributing to the debris. The central research question is: “How can we design adaptable furniture that enables people to withstand natural disasters like floods and build resilience?"
