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Students improve district service points

Students of Industrial Design present product designs that contribute to the development and improvement of the district service points. Students design together with citizens and professionals through community-based co-design.

IO Projecten

In February 2011, Field Academy started the project Assisted living areas Kralingen-Crooswijk. Phase I (quantitative analysis) and Phase II (qualitative analysis) of this study have been completed.  Phase III of the research focusses on the development of the district branches and satellites.  A district service point / satellite is a place where locals can get information, advice and support and can meet each other. A district service point is professionally staffed and a satellite is mainly staffed by volunteers. Currently, a district service point has been achieved at Vredenoordplein in Kralingen-Crooswijk, the second district service point is still in development.

In Phase III of the project Assisted Living Kralingen-Crooswijk we cooperate with students from Industrial design, led by Adinda Freudenthal from TU Delft. The students are asked to examine the needs of current and potential visitors of the district service point regarding the provision of information and how residents learn to find their way as independently as possible. The students do this in the context of their last bachelor project. Students are hereby guided by the steering committee Kralingen-Crooswijk, in which several citizes and professionals take part. The students have carried out field work by interviewing visitors of the district Service point, residents of Kralingen-Crooswijk and professionals.

On Friday, June 29th, the final presentation of this project was held at TU Delft. In consultation with the steering committee, six designs have been chosen that have the greatest potential. A brief description of these designs follows below:

-A medication record with the aim to improve medication safety for the elderly. Here, the patient’s medications are provided with a sticker with a colour. In the file a medication schedule with the same colours, on which the patient can indicate which drugs have been taken. In addition a schedule has been included for a weekly evaluation, for the carer to fill in for the patient. The role of a care giver is also signalling.

-The MotiveRing ( A pun in Dutch, translation: motivation ring) is a ring that encourages immigrant women to attend movement classes  and thereby move out of their social isolation. During a movement class the women recieve this product and get moving into practice straight away. At the end of each lesson everyone gets two rings with instructions to take home as to invite other women to join in.

-Timetravel through Kralingen-Croowijk is a product with a table and a photo frame. A map of Kralingen-Crooswijk is drawn on the table. One can move the frame and let it hover over the map. The frame shows pictures, from Rotterdam’s city archives, on that location on the map. This table can be placed in a district service point and invites conversation about the pictures shown.

-An alarm / call for medical equipment is a wireless receiver that receives the alarm signal of medical equipment. This wireless receiver is available in the shape of a watch. The purpose of this product is to relieve care givers, who are often tied to the house. The receivers can also be distributed to local residents, allowing the caregiver to leave the house.

-RTHELP is a project that promotes volunteering among youth. Via an easy site information can be found about volunteering. In addition a module has been designed to teach a lesson about volunteering in secondary schools. If your volunteer at RTHELP, you can earn stars, which can be used to follow additional courses.

-The budget holder is aproduct that shortens the time between the occurrence of a problem and the remedy (within WMO). This is done by bringing the accessibility of information and the control work closer to the client.  The basis of the system is that the needy receive no money but a budget.

On Thursday, July 5th, the six best designs were presented to the entire steering committee. After the presentation, the steering committee enthusiastically chatted about the designs. The Field Academy will bring out an official report on the design, including recommendations on possible developments and the realization of products in September.