Enough insight – time for solutions
As a user researcher, I’m an advocate of research and understanding as much as possible to inform what we make. But before my time at Made Tech, I was involved in a project looking at the journey of people leaving prison who have an opiate addiction. This project was an example of a situation where more than enough research already existed. What was missing were solutions, or perhaps the will and political weight to put them to the test.
I was uncovering insights that already existed in most individuals working in the field, as well as in countless reports and published papers. The problems were well documented but the solutions seemed to be untested.
In the end, what my report included were distinctions between different issues and where design could have an effect. In my mind most issues fell into 3 categories: systemic, personal and design.
Systemic issues include short sentences resulting in them not receiving adequate support in or out of prison. This was an issue that sat with lawmakers and judges and needed advocacy work.
Another issue was (and still is) housing. Many leave prison without a home. How can we expect someone to make changes to their lives if they don’t have a home to go to? In my mind, these systemic issues must be solved first, or at least prioritised.
Personal issues were the circumstances which sat with the individual, such as trauma and friendships. These play huge parts in people’s lives. Although good design can definitely help build relationships and provide better trauma support, it becomes a space more difficult to test and measure, especially when interventions need to be long and sustained.
Finally, there were areas where I felt a human-centred lens could have more of an impact. One example was the excessive assessments which individuals have to go through. Some lasted over 2 hours and had to be redone every time they visited the centre after relapse. Many people interact with multiple charities and support programs, all with their own assessment criteria. The lack of information-sharing practices puts individuals through unnecessary stress, often resulting in them disengaging with services. Better design is needed.
The day someone is released back into the community is also interesting. What many would assume is a day people long for is actually full of stress and anxiety. How might we welcome individuals back into the community? How might we make them feel supported and wanted rather than shunted and despised?
I feel human-centred design has a space in most areas of our society, but there are times when it feels that other issues need to be solved first – or at least in tandem. There are times when enough research exists. That’s when it’s time for solutions.