Problem
The homeless care system in various Canadian cities, including Kitchener, Waterloo, Hamilton, and Sudbury, grapples with significant challenges—lack of innovation, a deficit in a human-centric approach, and insufficient focus on basic needs.
Objective
BetterStreet aims to create a publicly accessible document outlining best practices for homelessness service design, with a focus on the perspective of service users. This document emphasizes a user-centred approach, providing insights on how services catering to homelessness can be better designed for those who use them.
UX Objective
01
Conduct Comprehensive Interviews
Engage with shelter operators, staff, and individuals who have lived through homelessness. By conducting comprehensive interviews, we ensure a diverse range of perspectives, insights, and experiences.
02
Human-Centered Analysis
Our analysis is human-centered, focusing on the unique needs, preferences, and challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. By understanding their perspectives, we shape solutions that truly resonate with the people we aim to support.
03
Report Generation
Compile our findings into a comprehensive report. Prioritizing a human-centred approach, our recommendations aim to enhance and improve the homeless care sector. This report serves as a valuable resource for stakeholders, incorporating direct input from those who've experienced homelessness.
UX Design Process
Empathize
We initiated our UX approach with the Empathize phase, connecting with real stories through interviews with shelter operators and individuals who have experienced homelessness, gaining valuable insight and understanding.
Understanding the Real User Experience and Stakeholder Interviews
In the initial phase of our project, we prioritized understanding the real experiences of individuals affected by homelessness. Empathy played a pivotal role as we engaged with users in diverse settings, aiming to create meaningful insights to guide our design process.
User Engagement Locations
Our team spent time at various locations, including:
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Better Tent City in Kitchener
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Tiny Home Takeout at St. Mary's Church in Kitchener
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Hamilton Hub
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Vancouver's Downtown Primary Care Clinic
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Warming Center
Interview Details
A total of 35 in-depth interviews were conducted, each lasting an hour. These interviews delved into creating improved spaces for the unhoused population and individuals transitioning from homelessness. Notably, the perspectives of dedicated staff members were also integral to our understanding.
Finding
After conducting comprehensive interviews with shelter operators, staff, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness, we have identified key findings and patterns that shed light on crucial aspects of safety, mental health, dignity, community support, rehabilitation, and basic needs. Here are some of the significant insights gathered from these interviews.
Safety in Shelters
Concerns about safety in traditional shelters, including conflicts and potential theft.
Mental Health and Well-being
Hoarding: Discussion on hoarding as a mental health issue, impacting living conditions in communal spaces.
Dignity, Respect, and Privacy
Dignity, Respect, and Privacy: Emphasis on the significance of treating individuals with dignity and respect, providing privacy, and building a supportive environment
Returning of responsibilities and accountability
Importance of returning responsibilities and accountability to individuals as part of the rehabilitation process.
Rehabilitation and Support Programs
Consensual drug rehabilitation: Advocacy for consensual and supportive drug rehabilitation programs.
Basic Needs
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Access to Nutritious Food: Discussions about the importance of nutritious food and the challenges faced in obtaining it.
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Access to Showers: Difficulty accessing showers impacts personal hygiene and well-being.
Community Support
Family Bond Solidarity: Recognizing the importance of community bonds and solidarity in creating a supportive living environment
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid: Illustrating the five essential levels of human needs, from foundational physiological requirements to the pursuit of self-actualization.
Empathy Maps
Synthesis
Guided by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, our synthesis process assembled themes and patterns from our research. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness, aligning with the fundamental aspects of well-being.
Ideate
During the ideation phase, we formulated the Homeless Knowledge Spectrum, a framework encompassing insights from individuals with lived experience, frontline workers, advocates, researchers, and the general public. This comprehensive spectrum guided our approach, ensuring a holistic understanding of homelessness from various perspectives.
During the ideation phase, we crafted the initial structure for the book, taking inspiration from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This framework served as a guide to arrange our insights coherently, ensuring alignment with the fundamental aspects of human needs.
Prototype
In the prototype phase, we transformed our structured insights into the initial draft of the document "Walk Together". This draft is a comprehensive compilation of research conducted during the summer of 2023 to enhance the homeless care system. It includes insights from individuals with lived experiences, and professionals gathered through 35 in-depth interviews across various Canadian cities.
The Outcomes
After our 12-week internship, there are plans for additional research before the finalization of the document "Walk Together". Nevertheless, our significant contributions in research, data analysis, and proposing a structured book outline based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs establish a robust foundation for future efforts in addressing homelessness.
01
Research and Data Analysis
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Conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders, including shelter operators, staff, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
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Analyzed gathered insights, providing a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs within the homeless care sector.
02
Book Structure Proposal
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Developed a structured outline for the "Walk Together" document, drawing inspiration from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
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The proposed book structure serves as a conceptual framework for organizing findings, offering a clear and comprehensive presentation.
03
Empathy Maps
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Created empathy maps to visually represent the emotional states, pain points, and aspirations of individuals experiencing homelessness.
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These maps serve as a tangible visualization of the human-centred approach taken during the research phase.
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Valuable Contributions for Future Work
The work done lays a foundation for future research and document completion, emphasizing the importance of building upon the existing insights.