Refugees face a myriad of barriers to accessing trusted information, which leads to vulnerability and reliance on their hosts.
Overview
My peers and I co-designed a service concept, Context, which helps newly-arrived families settle in the UK. Context is a browser extension which supports refugees by overlaying crowdsourced cultural interpretations of information onto existing websites.
Context was developed and validated through a series of in-depth interviews with refugees, workshops and feedback sessions.
The project was awarded an outstanding grade by the course professors and received funding from the design agency Hellon and support from a leading Ukrainian charity Opora, allowing us to work with a team of developers to bring it to fruition and roll it out more widely.
client:
my role:
project time:
Student project in partnership with Hellon and White Eagle Appeal
End-to-end development with my
4 teammates
September - December
Research
a) Methods
Our group interviewed over 20 organisations, including charities, UN agencies, local authorities, volunteers, and refugee networks.
We also did seven in-depth interviews with Ukrainian refugees to gain a better understanding of the situation for refugees and asylum seekers globally and locally.
b) Findings
There are over 160 thousand Ukrainian refugees in the UK (gov.uk), predominantly women (85%) and their children.
They face a language barrier challenge which affects all domains of life from schooling to employment. Half of the Ukrainians residing in the UK face barriers to accessing work, whereby their qualifications are not recognised in the UK.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme provides six months of support for designated hosts. However, families face homelessness as financial support ends. 45% face barriers to accessing private accommodation without a guarantor or reference.
Synthesis
a) User stories
The following video synthesises our interviews with both refugees and hosts in a form of a short story.
b) Statements
Our vision...
is a UK where refugees can access trusted information about their rights and navigate complex new cultures with dignity and agency.
Our mission...
is to create a refugee-led service platform which enables community members to share lived experiences, easing the challenges of resettlement.
c) Key insights
1
cultural interpretation
At the onset of a crisis, people turn to friends and informal networks. Sharing of lived experience enables trust.
2
first contact
From being matched with a helpful host to being isolated in a hotel, the refugee experience can vary greatly. This first point of contact is pivotal to a positive experience.
3
connective tissue
The Homes for Ukraine scheme provides six months of support for designated hosts. However, families face homelessness as financial support ends. 45% face barriers to accessing private accommodation without a guarantor or reference.
Development
Based on these insights, we organised a co-creation session with 4 Ukrainian refugees. Together, we brainstormed 6 potential directions for the project. We then went to get feedback and validation from the Ukrainian refugee community at the White Eagle club.
How does it work?
Context is a browser extension which supports refugees by overlaying crowdsourced cultural interpretations of information onto existing websites.
Watch the video to see how Context works in practice.
a) Demo
b) Exchange system
Context has a three-way value exchange between the stakeholders pictured below.
Organisations can pay small fees to contract translated content; access data on information gaps and needs; share technology services to reduce promotional costs, increase accurate referrals, reduce administrative burdens.
Refugees and asylum seekers can pose questions about settling in the UK
Mission-obsessed volunteers are incentivised to answer questions because the platform creates an efficient way to maximise what they’re already doing; they get motivation from the feedback received
Context challenges you to
re-imagine how we organise the internet.
Communities now more than ever have the power to aid each other through age-old challenges using modern tools and solutions.
c) Service blueprint
Scalability
Context could be utilised by all refugee communities, and the platform will adapt according to needs. By scaling across a plethora of services, like banking and health care which are largely inaccessible to diverse communities. Ultimately, our solution could have exponential use cases.
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