Design Research to improve a new service to tackle loneliness in Barcelona
Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge 2014 winning city, Barcelona, developed a new service called VinclesBCN. Support was given to the Barcelona team on the implementation of Vincles, to learn from their idea as the team were implementing it, to continuously improve it.
In close collaboration with the team developing VinclesBCN, we defined a research plan to understand the experiences of residents receiving the service and professionals delivering the service. We would then capture observations and suggestions and come together to define actions for improvements.
Lessons learned from conversations and observation sessions of Vincles users and professionals at key times helped us capture qualitative information and facilitate continuous learning and improvement to inform the design of the future service.
Specific observations and learnings from residents and professionals have helped resolve some sticky points in the process.
Understanding the value VinclesBCN brings to people helped the team clearly communicate and help residents understand what can do for them and be interested in being part.
Teams delivering Vincles gained experience on human-centered design methodologies, by co-designing the process and also by actually carrying out some of the research themselves.
Client: Bloomberg Philanthropies
Sector: Local Government
Services: Service Design
// Project done whilst working at Innovation Unit, London