Impact Lab 2: People
Industry Partner – 3rd Space
"Be that Change. Make a Difference. Break the Stigma."
A collaboration between Queensland University of Technology and 3rd Space, the task was to design a solution to develop meaningful and enduring funding avenues to help this nonprofit mitigate homelessness. After much intensive brainstorm and discussion, my team discovered that social stigma is at the very heart of the issue of homelessness. As such, we delved into the possibilities of countering this social phenomena and came up with various solutions ranging from partnerships to advertising. To combat widespread misconceptions, stereotypes and break down the 'us versus them' culture prevalent in today's society, we finally homed in on sports as a bridging medium. Sports transcend differences — regardless of family background, social upbringing, financial status, political affiliations, race, language or religion. Sports have the ability to bring people together. Bonds are formed through sports and our proposal for monthly sport events creates the opportunity for both the public and the homeless to interact and engage with one another in a safe, stable and secure setting. My team, 'Home Run', designed a low-cost fundraiser centered around sports where barriers-to-entry are at a bare minimum. Our solution is a monthly sport event to be hosted in the surrounding local neighbourhood parks for easy accessibility, connecting all who share this passion to foster the amalgamation of the homeless with the wider community. It is our aim to create a light-hearted fun-filled environment for all to find common ground, to provide a setting suited for moments of serendipity and most importantly, to enable a celebration of both collectivism and individuality.
Designers who contributed to this project:
Shane Quek, Melissa Gray, Zoro Ucchino, Olivia Bridgford, Manfred Mak
