DanHibbert

My favourite entries have to be streamliners shower concept and JONGHDESIGN's Meet & Greet. I loved the simplicity of the shower concept idea and the hands on modelling and development work which the other entries generally lacked. The Meet & Greet is a fantastic concept and has been well presented with sketches and renderings. There is so much scope for further concept development. Some of you may have noticed that my entry has been listed despite not being completed, please vote for one of the other participants who have put together a complete entry.

In answer to your question, I certainly believe that, given the choice a homeless person would chose to use accommodation rather than remain on the street. This is where designers can contribute by designing temporary or permanent shelters for individuals or groups, affordable clothing products, cooking sets etc which can be distributed by charities to the homeless. Thank you for bringing up the new perspective for emergency shelters for disaster zones. This is another situation where shelters need to be quick to assemble and provide security and shelter to those who have found themselves without anywhere else.

Hello, Time for an update. Thank you azuro1125 for your feedback. I am pleased to see the initial concept outline has already inspired you to think about a shelter solution to tackle the problem of living rough. I will take your suggestions into consideration when developing my product concept. Earlier in the week I recorder a few brainstorm sessions based on the topics I highlighted in my first post. After considering the scope for new concepts I have decided to start look at the topics of security and illness in particular. I feel that a product would be more effective tackling the causes of these problems. I believe the other topics mentioned such as social aspects and poverty are equally as important however, for the causes to be effectively tackled it will require more than a single product. For this change is needed in societies awareness for the homeless and a government or charity based incentive to tackle the causes of poverty. I have attached the copies of the brainstorms below. I will be uploading concept sketches shortly.

Hi, After joining this forum last month I have been following the progress of this design competition and generally browsing the forum as a whole. I have been considering the brief of designing for the disadvantaged for a few weeks and running a few ideas through my head. I have decided that I want to aim my product at addressing a few of the problems faced by the homeless. Whilst more attention needs to be given to the causes of homelessness in our communities, to reduce the number of people who are forced out of their homes as a result of their personal circumstances, I want to focus my research on the problems someone would face "living rough" and hopefully develop a concept which will become a tool they can use to improve their quality of life. I have had a quick brainstorm after doing some reading to outline possible problems faced by the homeless. Social • Being looked down on / treated as an inferior • Lack of concern from the majority of society • Being judged for being homeless Addiction • Gambling • Alcohol • Drugs • Smoking Illness • Mental health problems • Pneumonia • Bronchitis • Deteriorating health due to living conditions • Drug/Alcohol related illness • Poor hygiene Security • Limited availability of hostels/shelters (both state funded and Non Government Organisations) • Availability of help depends on location • The need to feel secure can lead to isolation from others or mixing with other individuals who can cause a detrimental effect. • Having possessions stolen • Challenge of securing valuables and personal possessions • Not always receiving the respect or assistance from authorities that is expected. Poverty • Often becoming homeless results makes it harder to hold down a job and to bring in regular income. • Living literally "hand to mouth". • Trying to keep any personal finance safe from others - being robbed • Desperation for money can lead to individuals to the extremes of crime, prostitution, or putting themselves forward to be exploited by others for very little return. • Temptation to spend money on alcohol, drugs, cigarettes etc Hostels/Shelters/Charities • The work done by the state, Non Government Organisations and Charities is invaluable however there is simply to much demand for their services. The "help" available in all forms is not enough for most to break the cycle of living on the streets. • Gathering in a group with individuals of similar circumstances suffering from any the above problems can be harmful to the wellbeing of others in the group. These are a handful of the problems involved with homelessness. I would like to develop a concept or product that could be used by the homeless individual, a charity, non government organisation or state funded scheme to assist the homeless population in their day to day living. By thinking about the causes and some possible solutions to these problems I hope to gather ideas for a concept. I hope to begin concept generation over the next few days and aim to post an update later in the week. Dan.

Just filled in your survey. Good luck with your research.