About the brief: Our Data and Global Wellbeing
How might we achieve greater collective wellbeing through the power of our individual data?
We are in unprecedented times — the perils of pandemic, climate, political upheaval have arisen almost synchronously bringing with them anxiety, uncertainty and unparalleled challenges. At the same time, the immense power of data, analytics, almost limitless computing power and instant communication can provide us with the tools to solve these challenges.
This year’s SDC challenge asks teams to explore the potential for private data to enhance global health and wellbeing. Ten finalists were chosen from an international Call for Participation.
SHRIYASH SHETE
I am from India and currently based in the US. I’m a second-year master’s student at Indiana University Bloomington studying Human-Computer Interaction Design. I’m currently working on a school project with IU ProHealth Informatics group to explore the intervention of wearables technology to improve mental well-being that is largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides this, I have experience working on the Mixed Reality (MR) technology for stress relief for future office employees which was presented as the SDC finalist in the TEI 2020 conference and later published by ACM Digital library. Prior to my master’s program, I worked as a data analyst at a global healthcare consultancy — ZS Associates, for over 2.5 years. Thus, I bring a unique blend of skillset which is perfectly aligned with the design goal of IxDA Student Design Charette.
EMILY VANDER MEY
I am a master’s student studying interaction design at California College of the Arts learning to fuse my love of visual design with my knack for systems-thinking. With a career in graphic design, an education in information technology, and a passion for data, I believe in making information beautiful and accessible.
SAMANTHA TUNG
I am final year User Centred Design student from Loughborough University. Since the second year, after a UX module, I have developed a strong interest in UX Design. My favourite part is converting the user’s needs into a solution. Last year, during my placement year, being able to practice the design process in real-life applications encourage me to pursue UX as a career. Now being back at University, I want to keep the ball rolling and to sharpen my skills through this competition. Being an international student at a UK University was exciting but not easy. I had to overcome the cultural difference and try hard to look out for different opportunities to connect with people in the community. This brief makes me wonder if I can use my design skills to help people like me, any minorities in the community, to fit in better.
JACK FLYNN
I am a final year Interaction Design student at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland. I’m often inspired by nature, human interactions and the ability of our environment to shape our emotions. Over the last few years I’ve spent much of my time thinking about the social internet and how it influences us and the responsibility these corporations have. These platforms are global spaces in which we interact with people and these corporations are beginning to look more and more like governments in charge of these digital spaces. And that is incredibly intriguing to me.
DELLA SIGREST
I’m a UX designer with a penchant for making and an entrepreneurial mindset. I earned my BFA in visual design at VCUarts. After graduating, I founded a non-profit program dedicated to engaging girls in STEAM fields. My work with Full STEAM Ahead taught me to see design as more than marks on a surface, but the systems we operate in every day. My passion for research, design, and strategy was ignited! Now, I’m a master’s student at the University of Washington studying Human-Centered Design and Engineering. I believe research-backed design is a powerful tool for building user empathy. Recently, I’ve worked on projects around humane technology, distributed work, and accessible solutions. I’m particularly interested in the intersection of digital and physical products- which I am exploring with the start-up Touchwood Labs. When I’m not researching, designing, and iterating, you can catch me mountaineering, knitting, or playing my uke
ANNA SCHREIT
I currently study Industrial and Products Design (M.A.) at Moholy-Nagy University of Arts and Design in Budapest, Hungary. Right now, I want to get the most out of possibilities and start to focus on the digital-solution-making area. Now my main goal is to gain experience to make my master’s thesis based on digital product design and create an exceptional diploma work. I work for a software development company as a digital designer. Our main partner is the Hungarian Prison Service, so I had a chance to work with people whose needs in digital design are special in different ways. I enjoy coming up with suitable solutions for them that drive me and gives me motivation.
AMANDA YEOH
I am a designer pursuing a Master’s in Interaction Design at California College of the Arts. My background in writing and data analysis has given me a deep empathy for people and their stories. I like thinking about the future and figuring out to get there, especially in the areas of urban planning, healthcare, transportation and sustainability. Raised in Malaysia and educated in the US, I have also lived in Greece. You can find me lost in a city, traveling in a book or running in nature.
ROHAN PAL
I am an undergrad studying mechanical engineering at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology. I have traveled and lived in the east, west, south, north of India and all in between, studying in multiple schools, meeting people from the most contrasting cultures. Only in my freshman year, I realized my love design while working on problems for my friends and local communities which nudged me to become a designer, now having worked with 6 startups, a design agency and as a freelancer in a little more than 2 years. Throughout the experiences I have had, I understand that every valuable product and service is born out of empathy for the user and impact at the individual level at scale. I aim to make a distinguishable positive impact in the work that I do.
LIZ WANG
Originally from the West Coast, I moved to New York to study Interaction Design at the School of Visual Arts. I previously earned a bachelor’s in Anthropology and have experience in both sales and healthcare. As a designer, I value solving complex problems and creating empathy-driven experiences through a collaborative and iterative process. I also consider myself an avid reader, a foodie with an insatiable appetite, and an amateur iPhone photographer.
TARA JANES
I am a User Experience Master’s student at Loughborough University, where I also studied my Batchelor’s in Industrial Design and Technology. At university I am known as a risk-taker, I am not fazed by tackling provocative topics and difficult challenges. I have worked on a range of projects generating UX, service and product design solutions where appropriate, so have a wide range of skills to bring to the Charette. Through placement at Lego DK and Erasmus in Milan, I have gained skills in working with people from all over the world, and through doing a remote Master’s, and completing my undergrad remotely, I am well-versed in working in groups over video call. I have completed a UX project, an app called Pan, based around smart city data tackling issues during COVID-19 so have experience working with the concept of personal data.
IxDA is partnering with TTC Labs, a co-creation lab initiated and funded by Facebook, who bring together policy makers, privacy experts and product creators — using design thinking to solve challenges and to improve trust, transparency and control in digital products.
