When we talk about needs, it’s about helping people recognise what issues there are with their lives or with society.
1. What we feel is wrong
In some cases, recognising what’s wrong is understanding the world as it is and the world as you’d like it to be. For London Citizens, this approach helps show people how they can create a purpose around which their community can organise.
What we’ve done that’s wrong: But it’s also about recognising our mistakes “We need waste. It’s an essential part of experimentation. Without trial and error, you won’t get anywhere.” (@amandagore @lizzieostrom) From Cock Up Cocktails (@sidekickstudios) to @failcamp, “lots of cock-ups come when you miss contextual or cultural awareness.”
2. What we see that’s wrong
Putting the spotlight on the gaps in society is a very powerful way to create disruption — from uncovering unmet needs, mapping crises and responses to them, mapping unused assets to exposing the black box of power structures such as Wikileaks. Mapping unmet needs right at the start of my career has shaped my thinking ever since (as well as a better grasp of uphill dairy farming!).
If there has been a tool which has helped report crises and solutions to the recovery, it’s been the map. That’s why it’s amazing how Ushaidi has developed providing social as well as digital infrastructure. But a geographical map also provides information about the mental maps and cultural assumptions of the people who made it.
Which is why prototypes like Moodmap or Mappiness are so important, particularly in crises such as the riots. They show live updates from people about how they feel about what’s going on in their local neighbourhood. So as well as understanding unmet needs how can we better map unspoken feelings?
