Guiding Design Principles: Imani Unidad
Design Goal: The target customer for our project is not so laid out and specific as it is with other projects. The organization we are serving is called Imani Unidad which helps ex-convicts with AIDS sustain a better lifestyle and build a real support system. By a function of us trying to help the organization, we in turn share the same end result for the end user/customer. The target customer being the afflicted individuals, the design we need to help Imani Unidad implement is ultimately providing a support system more effectively so that we may prevent these individuals from hitting ‘rock bottom’ before it gets too much for them to even try. Along those lines, our project really looks to combat the systematic segregation of such individuals with these pasts, particularly in the housing and job market that prevent these individuals from getting a decent living area and job.
User Perception: The offering we suggest for the organization, Imani Unidad, is ultimately crucial for them to achieve their continuing goal of helping the community and the members at risk or currently affected by AIDS or incarceration. This as a result is a type of design solely focused on the user’s well being and crucial for improving it in the socioeconomic and mental sense. Given the nature of the mission, there are many individuals whom might not want to associate with the organization or help improve on its goal even if they have been afflicted. People fear for their reputation as the disease is synonymous with sexual relationships and such work with the organization might shed a negatively perceived light on individuals associated with it. The key research insights can really only be taken from the professionals working in Imani Unidad and the people that they are serving. Without the needs and issues dictated from these individuals, there is very little to go on to properly serve them other than mere speculation and outcome analysis.
Problems/Needs/opportunities: The target user in our case, being the afflicted individuals, would prefer the outcome of the offering to be one that provides a consistent platform for support and one that strives to ultimately make the users their own best advocates. Along the same lines, the offering to Imani Unidad would be one that ultimately tries to change the system of how members of society with a past, like the individuals in this case, can seek housing and work without being discriminated. This in turn is really a key component to laying the foundation for self support and a real permanent and positive change in the lives of the individuals seeking help from Imani Unidad. The highlight the main current pain points the user is experiencing now: support systems are not lasting or personable enough for individuals to stay in check, the current housing market generally prevents individuals from gaining decent housing, and employers usually turn away people with a criminal history. To ultimately change one’s life, there has to be a somewhat strong degree of financial stability especially for these individuals. They need decent jobs and housing options so that they can keep away from harmful environments that would see them regress to their past.
Functional Attributes: The order of importance really for the user is first gaining an actual support system and seeing greater self advocacy for a better life. The second would be housing as a major component for why people become afflicted with crime and drug use is of lack of decent and adequate housing leading them to the streets. The last deals with the job; when the user really gets more established, a job is really the final chapter of a life change as it greatly adds importance to the user’s life; subject to change importance level with housing as it depends on economic standing of user. The design of the offering is specifically tailor made for people who have been previously incarcerated (or at risk of) and have AIDS. Therefore the offering needs to be compatible with that specific group.
Constraints: The confines of our project work really lie within the boundary of what can be done by Imani Unidad. Being an official organization, there are certain restrictions on what the organization can and cannot do such as with the degree to which they can reach and help clients that isn’t intrusive. Another constraint to our work is really how successful we can be with trying to implement a change in the housing and job market. Other than gaining insight and providing employees and estate agents with anecdotes, not much can be done on our side from a legal standpoint to change how these markets are handled and who they can catered to. As well, we ourselves cannot gain more insight from afflicted individuals than what they choose to provide, be it biased or not; we cannot push them for information nor can we force them to help make the organization better to serve the individuals more accurately.