ellenmaeparkerdmc22

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Design Methods and Contexts Reflective Commentary.

Overall, I adopted the double-diamond methodology in my approach to this project, with mixed-method research. Throughout the project, I referred back to four key design principles - highlighted by the Design Council, (undated): people first, by understanding stakeholder needs; communicate visually and inclusively, by helping people to understand the problem; collaborate and co-create, by being inspired by others; and iterate early to build confidence in ideas. This is something I aim to take forward in creative projects, as it produces an elevated and richer outcome and it was brought to my attention by Tim Greenhalgh, Chief Creative Officer at Landor & Fitch that these principles reflect processes seen in the multi-disciplinary and collaborative nature of design agencies currently.

I used both divergent and convergent thinking as I widely explored problem-solving procedures and then defined solutions, repeating this system many times throughout the duration of this module. I discovered the problems surrounding the cemetery as a public space through primary research of multiple on-site visits and secondary contextual online research using the cemetery’s website.

Observing the users of the cemetery space, and also awareness of the people I encountered in the city centre prompted me to notice the need for change-making surrounding the well-being of the local elderly population. Changemakers creating paradigmatic transformations was something brought to light by Dr Laura Santamaria, Deputy Head of CSA, AHSS Lead for Sustainable Futures. During the week 3 lecture, I learned and acknowledged that social change is cultural evolution and that social design creates a counter-culture by its own nature of disrupting the status quo. This triggered ideas of how my proposal could implement long-term change by challenging existing societal ideas and treatment of the elderly’s capacity to be active in their communities.

This qualitative research led me to investigate the current relationship between local green spaces and elderly people in the city. I made thought maps with the point of view of solving wicked problems to generate ideas about why these issues are present and how they can be improved. I explored methods of ideation to think more about the problems, particularly by using the “5 Why’s” method learned from lectures by Idrees Rasouli, Deputy Head of CSA, Associate Professor. It was at this point in the module I started thinking about the interconnected nature of the two issues at hand: elderly mental health and a neglected public space. As explained by Dr Laura Santamaria, and defined by the Interaction Design Foundation (2022), “wicked problems” are unique, with no set formula because every example is relative. In the case of my research task, improving the local elderly people’s quality of life meant a proposal to build a structure that didn’t cause problems with wildlife disruption. Serving one community may cause new issues, so I tried to find solutions that would maximise a positive impact on my target users, but also minimise a negative domino effect.

To define an audience I considered and identified the kind of older person I aimed to help, and who exactly I was designing for by creating personas. These fictional profiles were made on the basis of market segmentation. This strategy calls for the consideration of the geographic location of the user, the demographic (age, gender, income, ethnicity), the psychographic nature (personal values, needs, interests), and also their behaviour, such as purchasing habits and brand interactions. The personas were also informed by the kind of people I regularly encounter in the city, and these experiences made me think about critical elements of the proposal such as communicative tools to reach the stakeholders considering varying levels of computer literacy and cognitive function.

Once I had defined the issues in both of these areas, I collected some secondary quantitative research in the form of data surrounding elderly mental health, rates of older people using technology to stay connected, and the population of older people living in Cambridge. I then began thinking more broader about how communities can be strengthened by placemaking via community creative projects. I was surprised to discover neuroscientist Colin Ellard’s work surrounding the psychology of urban design (2014). His research suggests that repetitive exposure to mundane surroundings negatively impacts overall health over time. This affirmed why I was driven to propose a transformation of the redundant cemetery space into a thriving, vibrant hub for a demographic of people generally subjected to dull design and surroundings day-to-day.

Further research developed my understanding of how wildlife and natural elements of the space could aid older people, namely a journal published by Scientific Reports (2020) which described the results of an experiment where the elderly were exposed to a gardening intervention program for 24 weeks. A personal relationship with nature led to physical and mental health improvements, such as healthy sleep, psychological health, and cognitive function. What I found surrounding the impact of art therapy on elderly people demonstrated similar improvements. A Journal for the Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing (2013) conducted a study of group art therapy classes twice a week for women over 65 who were registered as high-risk by the Dementia Support Centre. The conclusion of the results indicated that art therapy should be used in intervention strategies. Additionally, across all areas of research, I observed that there was an emphasis on the benefit of giving elderly people control and autonomy. This observation informed my intention for placemaking and user input, which I think successfully connects the intended audience to my project.

I developed design research methods by creating posters and branding for this applied research task proposal. In the first iteration, I designed almost entirely from the goal of accessibility, and it took some refinement and further experimentation to discover what was engaging as well as appropriate. Accessibility design guidance that I had absorbed from sources such as UX Planet (2019) may have slightly impeded my graphic design outcomes initially, as my work was purely functional and didn’t have a defining brand voice to communicate beyond literal words within text content. After revisiting my goals to challenge how we treat the elderly, I produced playful designs that aligned better with my aims. Finally, I delivered the outcome with a presentation pitch, which was a result of all my previous explorations and curation of the strongest ideas. Overall, this project has helped me to explore what it could mean to be a designer beyond small, contained freelance work, what I could bring to a creative team, and how I could present and manifest my skills.

1,083 Words.

Bibliography:

Choi, Y.H. and Jeon, E.Y. (2013) Effects of art therapy on cognition, depression, and quality of life in elderly, Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing. Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing. Available at: https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1058316 (Accessed: October 27, 2022).

Design Council, (no date), Our Work, Skills & Learning, Available at https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-learning/tools-frameworks/framework-for-innovation-design-councils-evolved-double-diamond/ (Accessed: October 23rd, 2022).

Digital, S. (2019) Accessible design: Designing for the elderly, Medium. UX Planet. Available at: https://uxplanet.org/accessible-design-designing-for-the-elderly-41704a375b5d (Accessed: October 29, 2022).

Ellard, Colin (2014) The Psychology of Architectural and Urban Design, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClTeJror1sQ&ab_channel=AcademyofNeuroscienceforArchitecture (Accessed: November 3, 2022).

Jones, P. (2018) What is a paradigm? what is a paradigm shift?, Excitant. Available at: https://www.excitant.co.uk/what-is-a-paradigm-shift/ (Accessed: October 12, 2022).

Sia, A. et al. (2020) Nature-based activities improve the well-being of older adults, Nature News. Nature Publishing Group. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74828-w  (Accessed: October 27, 2022).

Wong, E. (2022) What are wicked problems and how might we solve them?, The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/wicked-problems-5-steps-to-help-you-tackle-wicked-problems-by-combining-systems-thinking-with-agile-methodology (Accessed: October 23, 2022).

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Presentation Pitch Transcript:

My proposal for this module is a rejuvenation project to facilitate the elderly community in Cambridge.

For context on the site being used, it is an inactive burial site used as a park by dog walkers, cyclists, students, the homeless, and commuters.

During a visit to the site, it was evident to me that it’s a peaceful encompassing green space that feels entirely separated from the busy city centre. However, on top of this, there is a major sense of abandonment. Many of the old headstones are not looked after and have long been visited, I spotted litter, and the quietness of the space made it feel somber and forgotten.

Problems with the space currently are poor maintenance and overlooked potential

This may be because of our ideas of what burial space is, lack of commercial value, and therefore lack of funding.

There are over 157,000 people aged above 65 living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 3.8 million people aged over 70 in the UK live alone. Age.uk reports are showing huge numbers of elderly people feeling lonely. When observing the cemetery, I noticed a few elderly sitting on benches, but they weren’t interacting with anyone. Upon researching, I found the few services currently set up for older people in Cambridge are limited to inactive lunch events and keep the elderly within their own circles.

These issues are because of a lack of funding for the care sector in the UK and England’s societal habits of how we treat our older people. Namely dismissing them or treating them too sensitively so they are unable to live beyond the limitations we set for them.

Studies have shown that elderly mental health takes a toll on physical health too, increasing the risk of dementia and heart disease.

So, how will changing this site help this specific community exactly? I think we can try to solve the problem of abandoned green space by taking advantage of its qualities to try and help the lonely elderly in the area.

There have been many scientific studies conducted indicating that spending time outdoors can improve both mental and physical health in older people. Fresh air can boost immune systems and even everyday experiences like hearing birdsong can positively impact mental well-being. This makes Mill Road Cemetery a perfect setting for this project.

Upon further research on how I could help the elderly, it seems that art therapy is also largely beneficial to overall health. It can help with dexterity and even improve memory.

A Korean study explored the effects of group art therapy on elderly women at high risk of dementia. The results showed that classes twice a week for 5 weeks improved cognitive function, mood, and general quality of life.

An organisation that offers both outdoor activities and creative classes for older people is the University of the Third Age. U3A is a collection of charities and offers both local and online member-led classes to those who no longer work.

With all this in mind, here is my proposal…

… Transforming the Mill Road Cemetery to support classes for older people in the surrounding community.

This project aims to serve the elderly community, with both physical and mental disadvantages in mind.

The classes the Mill Road hub will offer include creative, physical, and scientific topics, such as painting, yoga, and botany.

It is important to acknowledge things like colour blindness and cognitive disabilities, however, it is evident that marketing and branding for the elderly is too often bland and condescending. The next few slides show the branding guidelines for the project.

The logo should appear in a single colour on a contrasting background.

We are using 3 tones only, this is so there is high contrast between the black and white and the designs are not too visually busy. The fluorescent green points toward nature to be seen in the Green Space of the cemetery but with a modern, eye-catching twist.

The text should be clearly legible, again using high-contrasting colours and avoiding green on white.

We are using a heavy version of greycliff and regular grotesk – this is because these typefaces have been designed specifically for high legibility. Also, they are free to use if members are making their own promotional materials.

To tie the project back in with the community, and to hopefully help the elderly feel more involved – I have created a typeface using found type around the stretch of mill road along the cemetery.

This type should only be used for a few words to keep it bold and legible but is important to use when trying to convey brand voice.

I collected photos of shop and road signage and then picked out multiples of each letter. This is a detail that is not supposed to be obvious to everyone, but I hope It would be nice to know for some members.

Here is an example of the typeface being used on a poster.

In the same spirit of the found type, here are some digital collages to be used as large illustrations on posters. They are playful with an attempt to bring almost childlike fun to the tone of the branding.

Here is an example of them being used with the visual language of the rest of the branding.

The photography used for leaflets and other media should be cheerful and tell a narrative.

Here is a loose example of how they might be used in a prospectus.

The tone of voice for the written copy for this project should be informative but friendly and accessible. We are using U3A’s strap lines to encourage positive aging.

In terms of the actual hub structure, there are a few things to consider, such as budget, wildlife, damage, temperature, and wheelchair access.

I think the best way to accommodate those potential problems is by building a mobile classroom. The structure will be resilient, but easy and fast to construct, causing minimal damage to the environment of the cemetery. The space will be able to host events and members should be able to pop in for a cup of tea.

Reflecting back on our task in week 1, I think members should have input on the design of their space. The elderly should have autonomy and feel a sense of ownership over the classroom they have curated.

It is more important to ask members what they want, rather than design a space by guessing what would be best for them. The elderly’s requests may be surprising, and they could want something we hadn’t thought about from their perspective.

Revisiting what I learned whilst researching art therapy for older people, we should be giving the elderly opportunities to speak up and leave their mark in their communities during a time of their lives when perhaps many decisions are being made for them, often based on medical interventions and level of care.

Here is an idea of how it could look from the outside in its first phase of existence.

We hope to have the classroom built by June 2023. The estimated upfront cost of a mobile classroom is 15,000. Funding this would hopefully come from multiple streams such as the city council and also charities. There are running costs for electricity and fundraising events can be held to buy upgraded equipment for the classes. The classes are run by volunteers.

To reach the target stakeholders of this project, updates and news will be distributed by both digital and printed media.

Older people are the largest demographic of smart tablet users, maybe because touchscreen devices can be easier to use than a mouse to point and click. But research shows they are also reluctant to upgrade technology once they’re comfortable with the device they have.   All digital media should be touchscreen-friendly, with large interactive elements, and also compatible with older IOS versions.

Any Important information should be given via both printed and digital means of distribution, as not all members will be computer literate, but some may prefer less of a paper trail.

In the second phase of this project, I would like to plan a mural to be painted on the side of the building, designed and created by the members. The members of the gardening class could help with the maintenance of the cemetery. Hopefully getting involved in the community will help the elderly feel more included, build team friendships and give them a sense of purpose and goals to work towards.

In the future, the mural is important because there are many scientific studies showing that community art is positively impactful to societies. This would not only hopefully help the target stakeholders, but give people in Cambridge a reason to stop and pause whilst they are passing through the cemetery.

Thank you very much for your time and attention to my proposal today.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Designed elements for the presentation pitch.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

The Hub structure & problems to solve:

• Within a reasonable budget – funded by charities/council. • Construction should avoid wildlife disturbance as much as possible. • Minimal damage to the historic site, if any. Must be respectful. • Insulation in cold weather/airflow in hot weather. • Accessibility for wheelchair users. • Must be able to function as a space to facilitate art classes and store artwork and equipment. Able to have electricity for fans, space heaters, computers, kettle, fridge, printer/scanner. • Must be a friendly/social area.

Reflecting back to the Placemaking task of 044 in week 1, I would like the members to have input into the classroom design. Ideally, members should be able to work comfortably and efficiently, but also be able to use the room as a social space to have a cup of tea and meet friends.

Solution:

• A mobile classroom with a ramp. • Temporary structure, no permanent damage. • A warm, welcoming space to host meetings, fundraising bake sales, art exhibitions etc.

Funding (2023): • The estimated cost of a mobile classroom and ramp structure is £15,000. Funding for this would hopefully come from various streams: Cambridge City Council and local charities such as Age UK Cambridgeshire, COPE (Cambridgeshire Older People’s Enterprise) and The Silver Line.  • Must also consider the running cost of electricity bills to run lighting, space heaters, fans, a kettle, fridge, a couple of computers, and a printer/scanner. • Fundraising events will be held to upgrade equipment etc. • U3A classes are run by volunteers and the facility will be cleaned and maintained by volunteers.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Experimenting with the new branding idea, seeing if this is a viable option for readability. I prefer this new deeper tie to the community and playfulness to endorse messaging of positive ageing.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Revisiting previous visual language

During my second 1 to 1 with Matt, we discussed a previous example of digital collages I made for the personas. We both agreed that this visual language was far more interesting than the clean, accessible branding I was currently working on. (See example below).

So with this in mind, I decided to experiment visually with some collage...

I took photos to record the different type I could find on the stretch of Mill Road closest to the cemetery, with the intention to use type found in the community. I was feeling slight disconnect with my project as it didn't feel site-specific, and could be based anywhere. Also, collaged type could complement the digital personas style images previously mentioned.

I created an alphabet from the type I found around Mill Road. I don't intend to use "as is" because I don't want the connotations of ransom notes, or Jamie Reid's Punk/Sex Pistols work.

So, I selected only the letter forms and arranged them in a way that looks obviously like a "found-typeface" and is non-threatening. I think this is still clear and accessible for most to read, and will only be used for the main headline text. This new approach gives more character, and I like that it is integrating more of the community into the project.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Planning for presentation notes

The presentation needs to tell the narrative of learning during the module. Think about additional material to go with the presentation - posters, hand-outs, and interactive elements.

TED x Will Stephen When you have nothing to say, you can still say something. The way which you deliver language can convince an audience that you're discussing a well-researched, interesting topic.

STRUCTURE: Discover, definition, develop and Deliver. OR Understand, Think, Create and Deliver.

Think of breakers between slides, and keep the presentation simple, not too wordy. Consider storyboarding the presentation.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Tim Greenhalgh - Lecture 2

How do we keep our curiosity? Relevance and Difference.

Shine a light on persecution. - United Nations, Burma innocent peaceful protest prisoners. "Please touch the exhibition." Was successful in collecting enough signatures to free 150 prisoners. - Polly the Polar Bear, children talking to adults about climate change. Habits are unlikely to change after the age of 9. The project visualises complex data and big concepts a little at a time. There is a balance of Illustration, making things, design, and strategy. - Dell, one of the largest recyclists. Not just another box. Unboxing turns to reboxing. Users are invited to fill a box with old tech, a free shipping charge. Gifted tech was recycled or redistributed. The box was made of completely sustainable materials.

What do you need to know to ensure the solutions and ideas answer the brief? Info you NEED vs info you WANT. - Distilling the actual goal of the client (mission statement, company values). - Context of the brief within the current political climate. - Target audience, stakeholders, then interviewing the people who we are designing for. - Budget and time constraints for the project. - Client's desired deliverables. - What the client DOESN'T want.

Context, problem, business case, audience and insight.

Difference: Think of new ways of generating interest... What do we need to do to ensure ideas and solutions are different? - Look at client's competitors and find out what has been done before, successfully or not. - Think about the obvious solution to the brief and avoid not pushing any further. - Find out niche details about the company, things that are unlike competitors. Explore what makes the client special. - Take unexpected angles. - Explore methods. Mind-mapping, 10 + 10, 5 Whys (see notes on Idrees' presentations).

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Iteration 1 - initial branding deck for the Mill Road Hub project. Design is created from the goal of accessibility.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Mission/About:

This project aims to transform the Mill Road Cemetery from a poorly maintained pass-through space into a facility for the elderly, who may be experiencing loneliness according to Age UK statistics.

We aim to deliver this project from a social design perspective, creating facilities accessible for all to participate in. We will consider both the physical and mental capacities of the stakeholders. We are passionate about positively impacting the well-being of elderly people in central Cambridge.

To execute this mission, we will be working with the University of the Third Age, to build a hub for their existing classes and start some site-specific ones. Scientific studies tell us that fresh air and being in nature are beneficial to immune systems and mental health. In addition, art therapy also helps with dexterity and expressing oneself non-verbally.  We hope to solve some of the crisis of elderly loneliness in Cambridge with these things in mind.

Design for this project will be easily legible, and mindful of colour blindness. However, we acknowledge that design for older stakeholders is often bland and condescending, and we want to challenge this.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

"The challenges of ageing are truly multi-disciplinary, require a life-course approach and recognition of the wider age-structural change within which they are occurring. For example without significant improvements in health, population ageing will increase the amount of ill-health and disability. Families and communities will face increasing pressure to balance care with other responsibilities. The productivity and economic success of countries will be increasingly tied to that of older workers. Education and culture will become of even greater importance to enable personal and mental resilience and bring health and well-being across increasingly long lives. Appropriately designed urban environments are required, adapting to people’s changing needs as they age.

As Governments around the world wake up to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population, the need for robust research to inform policy development has never been more acute.The breadth and depth of the research carried out by colleagues at the Institute – often in collaboration with colleagues from our GLOBAL  research networks – is as impressive as it is impactful, designed to address these challenges."

- Professor Sarah Harper Director, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing 

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Why do we abandon great design when it is for "the elderly"? Jeremy Myerson, TEDxWhitehall

Notes: "Why are expectations so low? So beige? So bland?" We often design to keep the elderly safe and "bubble-wrapped" but we should design to keep older people active and integrated within their communities.

Myerson co-founded the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the RCA in 1999 and was director, and advocates for inclusive design in response to population ageing. He is a Visiting Fellow at The Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, and director of the WORKTECH Academy - the world's leaning online education platform exploring the future of work adn workplace.

During this talk, he expresses disdain for purely functional, medical design because it often isolates its users. For example, mobility scooter users can't access certain spaces in shops and other public places, and leaving the scooter outside advertises that someone vulnerable is occupying a space. So, he suggests we design so that older people are more included and actively involved. He gives the example of a scooter being redesigned like a child's, so the grandmother can move alongside her grandchildren.

Whilst I agree with the point he makes regarding some design for the elderly being humiliating or lacking in social aspects, I think it's also important to prioritise a medical perspective for design targeted to the elderly who are also disabled. There is no reason we shouldn't consider both functionality and social aspects to design, however.

Myerson ends the talk by stating the question: "do we want a life full of years, or years full of life?"

Oxford University Institue of Ageing: est. 1998. funded by the National Institute of Health to establish the UK's first population centre on the demography of ageing populations. The institute aims to research the implications of population change.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Nailing down the project: What *actually* is it?

Obviously, as this is a self-directed project, this is simply a proposal.

Transforming the cemetery from a poorly maintained pass-through space into somewhere that facilitates the elderly in Cambridge, who may be experiencing loneliness.

Collaborating with the University of the Third Age to host and fund a plethora of classes in the space. Possible sponsorship from Age UK, or The Silver Line - a helpline just for older people.

Classes specific to the site: Creative - Photography, Observational Drawing, Poetry, Painting Physical - Outdoor Pilates or Yoga, Gardening Scientific - Botany, Zoology, Astronomy Classes U3A Cambridge already facilitate, that the structure could provide classroom space or a meeting place for: https://www.u3ac.org.uk/courses/

What needs to be built: - A small building for shelter in bad weather and a place for cups of tea with a friend. Desks for classroom activity and also wifi. - A mural perhaps on the side of the building structure, painted and designed by the members of the classes. The aim of the mural is to create a warm, friendly, welcoming message for the community. Perhaps something so people will stop to observe or interact whilst passing through. - Maybe members of the garden class can help with the natural maintenance of the space, planting shrubbery and flowers, etc. Getting members involved in the project will give sense of purpose and contribution to their community, hopefully, a sense of achievement and relationships formed through bonding along the way?

What I need to design for the proposal: - A branding deck for the hub. - Some kind of concept visual for the building structure and how it will look in context to the cemetery. - Posters and advertising material for the hub. - Flyers/leaflets. - Maybe a webpage within the U3A website? - The building structure and possibly the mural. - A donation method.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Methods of Ideation: Idrees Rasouli

Method: approach that facilitates our work. Ideation: generating a broad range of possibilities to address a problem.

Understanding the context of ideation: (technological change) Idea -> creativity -> Invention -> Innovation <- Entrepeneurship <- Introduce/Implement -> "Newness."

The AESEO Method: Ideation can be too large/abstract. Limit into more manageable chunks. • Attitude (state of mind) • Expectation (planned outcome) • Schedule (deadline) • Environment (inclusivity aspects) • Origin (purpose)

The Five Whys Method: Made famous by Toyota.

The Journey-Mapping Method: Orchestrate and develop future conditions/expectations. ‘Day in the life of’ journey maps, also generate individual ideas which would feed into the bigger map. Arrival -> Access Point -> Interaction -> Destination.

System-Mapping Method: Improving relationships that are important to key stakeholders. Generate new ideas in a three-dimensional way by ‘thinking and working in a circular and interconnected’ way.

The Framing Method: Developing trigger questions, converting research into a wide range of actionable ideas. • Develop trigger questions based on insights • Convert user story into a design challenge • Dive deeper into key parts of the user story • Sort and group opportunity areas • Prioritise and ideate

The 10 Plus 10 Method: Focus on a particular idea in a group setting. Engage in a visual way, multiple sketching rounds.

The Decision Matrix Method: Allows multiple criteria to be incorporated in the decision where each idea is considered against a set of criteria and value.

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Revisiting Week 4: Wicked Problems with a new perspective from Idrees Rasouli's lectures

Visualising the complexity of the problem... Problem itself: The issue I am trying to solve is loneliness in elderly people around Mill Road and central Cambridge. I am doing this whilst also solving the issue of the wasted potential of the Mill Road Cemetery, which is used as a park-like space by some but is not well-maintained.

Problems within the space/setting: I want to take advantage of the outdoors, fresh air, and nature to positively impact the elderly's mental health. However, I don't want to disturb wildlife, and I need the space to accommodate disabilities and wheelchair users. I also don't want the elderly to get cold, so there needs to be shelter for this type of weather occurrence. Again, this shouldn't disturb the wildlife or the graves, out of respect. I would like the elderly participants to create a community mural, but the same issues arise from this in that it shouldn't disturb wildlife and would need funding to build.

Also, the local people living around the cemetery may vocalise resistance to changing the space or disturbance caused by building a shelter/mural. Or, they simply may not like the aesthetics of these changes.

Problems with the service: I would like the space to be a hub for art therapy such as observational nature drawing, wildlife photography, painting, etc. So materials may have to be sourced which means the project needs to be funded. I think a class like outdoor yoga or pilates would be beneficial to the stakeholders also. But I want to give the stakeholders a choice in their activities, and a chance to meet like-minded individuals. Therapeutic creative classes might not be of interest to all. As well as classes simply for well-being and "medical" targeted purposes, I would like to give the elderly opportunity to learn new skills as well. Classes I think would be appropriate in this space are zoology, botany, gardening, and possibly astronomy - as the Cambridge University Observatory is not far, and volunteers put on a free public open night every Wednesday.

With the cost of living crisis, I would want the service to be free to the elderly as they may already be struggling financially to heat their homes, and feed themselves. So this would require consistent funding somehow.

Problems with branding: I want to market the service in a contemporary, fun way due to design for the elderly generally being boring and unengaging. However, I also need this to actually appeal to the stakeholders, who may have deteriorating sight, memory issues, or an inability to use computers. These designs also need to catch attention of carers and loved ones.

I need to use fonts designed for legibility, but not let this impact my designs to be too stiff and uninteresting.

What socio-economic factors shape this problem? - Mental health services are being strained within the NHS right now and some individuals are "slipping through the cracks" of the system, being left without aid for grief, depression, or loneliness. - The cost of living crisis is preventing the elderly from thriving. - The impact of Covid - the elderly may still be wary about socialising in groups, and they may feel mental health impacts on staying isolated for so long such as agoraphobia. - Covid may have resulted in the deaths of those closest to the stakeholders, leaving them without family or friends. There may be trauma from not being able to say goodbye, not attendng funerals etc. - Mental health taboos and "stiff-upper-lip" attitude in the older generations. Refusal to ask for help or seen as vulnerable.

The Five Whys Method: Age.uk are reporting that more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour, or family member. According to Cambridgeshire Insight, there are 157,815+ people aged 65 and over living in Cambridge. Statistically, many of these people feel loneliness and deal with isolation. From my research, events for the elderly are not found in abundance locally.

Mill Road Cemetery is poorly maintained but could be a hub for the community of central Cambridge. I will use the problem of lonely elderly and the need for the cemetery to undergo regeneration to hopefully solve both issues together.

Problem: Many lonely elderly in Cambridge. -> Why? Because statistically, this is what Age.Uk reports -> Why? Because of the effects of covid, meaning more people are left vulnerable also strains the nhs well-being services and carers for the elderly. -> Why? Because people were strictly advised to stay away from groups, family members passed away, the mental impact that kind of isolation has on one's mental well-being, unable to use technology like FaceTime and Zoom, and cost of living increases meant perhaps the elderly cannot afford social events or to travel far to see friends and family (via other methods of transportation than busses). -> Why? Because the older generation perhaps may be less willing to ask for help, taboos around metal health, not wanting to be seen as a burden. -> Why? Because of systematic British traits, taboos around mental health, elderly men wanting to seem tough as a result of systematic patriarchial ideas about masculinity.

Problem: The potential of Mill Road Cemetery as a community hub is being overlooked. -> Why? Ideas of what a cemetery is, and can be. -> Why? Inactive burial site so perhaps seen as redundant and not worth funding by local councils. -> Why? Currently is mostly used as a pass-through space for commuters and dog walkers, and doesn't bring in tourism or anything else to support the local economy. -> Why? Because the space is poorly maintained and is not really a feature that would attract someone to move to Cambridge or visit specifically to see it. There are no commercial aspects to the public space either. -> Why? Because of preconceived notions of what a cemetery is, the space is poorly maintained, and the lack of funding (this answer highlights the cyclical nature of this Wicked Problem).

[ellenmaeparkerdmc22]

Set of posters exploring the brand identity of the project. I have used a typeface that is easily legible and designed in a way which is easy to read by a variety of audiences.

I created and used a symbolised version of the map of the cemetery to add colour to the designs in a meaningful, playful way. The neon green colour reflects both the natural elements in the park-like space with a contemporary twist that is unexpected for a design targeted toward the elderly. Another reason I chose the fluro colour is so that those with sight deterioration would easily be able to pick out the branding if printed posters were put up.

I carefully chose the royalty-free images I had available to me at the time and tried to pick photographs that were both appealing and natural. People having a good time, looking relaxed.

I used the University of the Third Age's existing logo and strapline, as I think these are extremely appropriate for this project and didn't need changing. I couldn't have thought of anything better and this project's aim is about integrating U3A into the Mill Road and wider Cambridge community, not rebranding their organisation.