Formulating the Design Briefs #1

Design Brief 1

Develop a workshop that is targeted at youths and young adults to influence them to be more aware and mindful on their current relationships with their older family members (parents/grandparents etc.).

Background:

• We need to address the issue of ageism on a micro-level – our families – before we critique how society (macro-level and meso-level) mistreats older adults.
• Research shows that poor family relationships is one of the stronger predictors of ageist attitudes (Kennison et al.).
• Workshops are educational programmes that are participatory in nature where participants could be engage in activities and conversations based on a topic of interest. The practical skills, techniques, ideas generated or co-created could then be used by the participants in their daily lives e.g. work, family, personal.

Approaching the brief:

• This brief asks you to design and facilitate a fun and interactive workshop in hopes of enabling the younger generations to be more aware that their time with their ageing family members is limited and they should start caring for them more when they have the chance to. The programme assists them in taking the first step to assume responsibility for their personal family relationships and encourage them to continue to do so beyond the workshop.

Additional notes:

• The workshop will consist of a series of games and activities to encourage the younger generation to reflect on their past actions, re-evaluate their understanding of their family members, empower them to take charge and make the change.
• Design a short questionnaire for participants to answer at the start of the workshop and another one at the end. Analyse the data collected to observe if there is a shift in thinking.
• Document the process using videography/photography

Kennison, Shelia & Byrd-Craven, Jennifer. (2018). Ageism in Young Adults: The Roles of Childhood Relationships with Parents and Attachment. Current Psychology.

Design Brief 2

• Develop a game solution (e.g. board game, table top game) that enables people of all ages and background to interact and get to know each other better. The game can contain elements from both bicentennial (old school) and modern games.

Background:

• Board games have been played in many societies and cultures throughout history.
• They have been used for teambuilding, skills learning (cognitive, memory, motor etc.), socialisation.
• Using play as a medium would help participants open up to each other, thus helping to break down barriers.
• The idea of combining old and new elements from games would create familiarity for both the young and the old; encourage learning from each other.

Approaching the brief:

• This brief asks you to develop a physical game solution to be used as a medium for face-to-face interactions to trigger the sharing of conversations, narratives, and stories. It helps participants to understand and communicate with each other better and hopefully forge stronger bonds with each other.

Design Brief 3

Design a physical guide or an activity book which can assist the younger generations in inciting their interest to uncover past memories with their families (parents/grandparents etc.) through scrapbooking.

Background:

• The physical family photo book is a treasure trove filled with cherished memories. The photo book is also a keepsake that can be passed down from generation to generation.
• However, it is an object that is far less common today than it was in the past.
• Scrapbooking is the method of preserving, presenting, and arranging personal and family history in the form of a book, box, or card.
• It has many uses and benefits: mediation, personal reflection, social activity etc.

Approaching the brief:

• This brief asks you to design a physical guide or activity book that acts as a social mechanism to help trigger stories and narratives from the past.

Additional Notes:

• The first section of the activity book would involve searching for old family photos or artefacts, while the second part would be new adventures that families can create together.
• The completed activity book would become a memorabilia for the participants to keep.