Rosie Stobbie (she/her)
As a designer with a background in graphic design and visual communication, I utilise my creative abilities with my applied research skills to design services that respond to users’ desires and needs.
My practice focuses on people and place, often exploring ways to help improve social issues that can adapt to future changes, through engagement with participants, human-centred design and value-driven storytelling.
Taking part in the programme during a pandemic has been a challenge, but with that, I have found that I can adapt to new formats, collaborate with peers across multiple time zones and realise the need for good services in real-time (the Zoom waiting room could be improved, for example.)
Now, I am looking forward to the work that I will be creating outside of the MDes programme and to continue delving into rabbit holes as I explore topics and industries outside of my own, keep learning through engagement with people, and collaborate on projects that positively impact society.
In Our Area
Context
Glasgow has the highest number of deprived neighbourhoods in Scotland, it is also home to multiple transit areas.
Over 50% of the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK are classified as transit areas. These areas have high numbers of in-movers and out-movers from less deprived places, often staying for short periods of time.
Transit neighbourhoods often have an influence on residents attachment to places, where a high turnover can evoke feelings of lack of safety, trust and security as well as undermine social networks.
So What Did I Do?
Through applied research, interviews with experts and engagement with stakeholders, I developed a multifaceted service that creates a stronger network between all entities in an area southwest of the River Clyde, Glasgow.
Residents wanted a central hub and more local activities in their area, but were unaware of what was available to them, due to geographical boundaries, a lack of representation and information sharing; often heading out of the local area to socialise, shop and partake in group activities.
In engagement sessions with members from a local community group, it was discovered that the area had lots of activity, yet they were “hidden behind grey walls.” The community group members already had a connection/interest in community work, enabling them to build knowledge on their area easier than other residents who were more transient.
So, I designed ‘In Our Area’, a service to help better connect all entities in an area, to help build upon existing community strength.
Loop
Context
Working on a live project with a team at Glasgow School of Art Innovation School and a care/education provider for vulnerable young people, we were given the brief:
“How should the unmet needs within the educational, and other key systems that directly impact the work of [care provider], be addressed in order that service provisions are enhanced or newly imagined to provide experiences that meet the needs of both staff and the young people engaged there?”
Through research and engagement with young people and staff at [the care provider] and experts in social care, we discovered a potential development area during a young Person’s time transitioning from care to independent living.
Statistically, care leavers are more likely to experience poor mental health, unemployment and financial difficulties than those who are not care experienced. This can affect their ability to sustain education, employment and housing resulting in social isolation and pressure. These barriers are present UK wide, where some young care experienced people expressed some disappointment with a lack of expectations from the care system in their abilities to go on to successful adult life, discussing lack of inspiring materials used in residential care.
So What Did We Do?
We defined the design challenge ‘How might we introduce young people to the external services available to them, to help them feel better equipped for independent living?’
We designed the service, Loop, that can be implemented by care providers for young people in care, based on the co-design approach, by working with consistent feedback from young people to inform the service deliverables. In this case, workshops, online content and a monthly magazine.
The weekly workshops are centred around the key barriers to independent living, to build confidence through skill and knowledge development. The workshop content would be informed by the young peoples’ wants and needs via feedback forms, where they can anonymously express topics they wish to explore further such as cooking, finance and careers/further education advice.
The website signposts young people in care and care leavers to relevant external organisations, information on upcoming workshops via a calendar and provides a space for conversation among care experienced young people.
The monthly magazine provides an ‘offline’ format of the website to ensure accessibility to those without access to digital tools or the internet.
Loop was designed by engaging, learning and listening to young care experienced people and staff at a care provider for young people, as well as with experts in this field.
