Challenge 36

The Design Challenge:

Dealing with the tasks and the challenges of adolescence. 

The project’s goal was to help teenagers develop a solid and positive personality and identity through creative hobbies.

Background:

There are  three main tasks that teenagers have in the process of maturation:

1. Emotional – at this step in the process, they develop their personality and self-esteem.
2. The second task they have to perform in that period is to develop a social relations ability and sensitivity to the people around them.
3. The last task would be intellectually related to ethics, values, knowledge, and occupation.

There are -many reasons to encourage teenagers to have meaningful hobbies. Research shows that “serious leisure״ is assists teenagers in the maturation process, helping them develop their personality, offering them opportunities to foster their social abilities, improve physical skills, improve their quality of life, happiness and growth.

So what is the problem?

In many cases, kids spend most of their time on endless internet scrolling, which comes at the expense of the meaningful activities that are supposed to help them in adolescence.

In my research, I found that the challenges of adolescence combined with the characteristics of the digital age increase the potential of exposure to risk situations for teenagers. Sources of support reduce the impact and the exposure to risks.

What I did?

• Twenty in-depth interviews with adolescents at risk. I wanted to learn how they experience the challenge from their point of view
• Ten in-depth interviews with experts
• Academic Literary Review 
• Inspirational desktop research of examples from around the world
• Ideation with 15 Participants: education experts, parents, and children
• Co-creation with the children for product development
• Prototypes

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The Solution:

A digital social platform designed to encourage teenagers to create and help them mature.

The Users:

There are three kinds of users on the platform:

The first one is “the superuser״ I called her “the confident creator”. She creates and shares her art proudly. She’s always looking for friends and seeks opportunities to get inspired.

The second user is ״the shy creator״: he doesn’t have enough confidence to share his art with the world. He creates for himself and, through art, deals with his difficulties. He needs much good feedback to become stronger.

The last user is “the enthusiast.” She represents the type of people that love arts, but at this point, don’t create themselves. She wants to be part of a community and to expand her knowledge.

Our purpose is to encourage all the users to develop and become confident and proud creators.

So, how does it work?

First, the user selects a challenge: He will seek a work that inspires him from the gallery that other users have shared.

He has 36 hours to create something new, upload it, and share it anonymously 

The other users have to give feedback, but they don’t know the creator yet.

When a user completes their feedback, the platform will reveal the artist. Then you can connect and discuss the art and maybe acquire a new friend.

What is so cool about this App?

• The time-bound challenge that calls to action: The challenge forces them to act in a limited time frame and spend their free time on positive and meaningful activities.
• The tools for growth and objective criticism: The platform offers opportunities to develop critical thinking and strengthen expressiveness.
• The Social space for a meeting around a common interest will give them the support they need.

I did this project as a part of the Master’s degree program in Design Management and Innovation at Bezalel. 

lecturer: Sarah Auslander