I have found myself in some interesting research situations in my career, but none quite like my recent project. This time I was talking to people because they were HOMELESS. Along with Kristen Johnson, a fellow envisioner at Continuum, Chris Miller, a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design,  I was selected to organize a workshop at the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference (EPIC) 2008. This year’s conference was held in Copenhagen, Denmark and focused on using fast and efficient research methods to understand social problems, like homelessness.

Then came the hard part…we actually had to do the research.

Standing in front of five parents who were homeless, and all I could think was… could I get to the “right idea” for this problem? Is it really going to work?
Our interviewees were homeless for different reasons: domestic violence, illness, loss of job, teen pregnancy, foreclosure, but they shared two key characteristics. They all had children and they were all able to self-advocate to get the aid they needed.

We wanted to explore the effect of social isolation on homelessness; however when it came time to design solutions to prevent or alleviate social isolation, our homeless respondents were not in the least bit interested. They wanted to talk about “the system” and after learning about more acronyms than we could count, it became obvious that many people where homeless, because they did not know what options were available to them.

Fifteen minutes into the conversation, I realized that this by far the most fascinating research I have ever done. I stopped worrying and started listening.
Our users talked about waiting at the welfare agency for 6-8 hours with their children, not knowing what to expect, or where they would be sleeping that night. They also talked about the frustration of loopholes in the system–being turned down for aid because they were too young, too well educated, or not pregnant enough.

They also talked about the dependency that the welfare system creates. “I am trying to put money in my savings to create a better life for my kids, but if I have more than $2,500 in savings I get kicked out of the shelter. I want to get out of the shelter, but $2,500 barely covers first and last month’s rent…what if something bad happens?” They also lamented about the process of applying for subsidized housing. They did not know where or when they would qualify for subsidized housing, which led to much anxiety . As one interviewee shared: “I don’t want to get a job before I qualify for housing. What if I get an apartment far away from my job, then what?” So, the participants were stuck in a state of extended transition.

While the topics we discussed were incredibly emotional, I left the interview session feeling that we could make an impact through design strategy. This was an eye-opening experience that culminated with an amazing workshop. And while we did not get to the “Right Idea” yet, we took a step in the right direction to understanding a persistent problem so we can enact social change.