Supervisor:
Paola Trapani
In recent years, China has made progress in reducing poverty and providing educational aid. However, some students face financial and emotional challenges due to regional resource disparities. At the same time, public trust in charity has declined due to scandals. Donors increasingly seek to feel the impact of their contributions. Meanwhile, beneficiaries often receive only temporary financial aid.
This diploma explores designing a charity model that meets donors’ emotional need for meaningful contribution, while ensuring beneficiaries receive sustainable support.
The project uses Frame Innovation by Kees Dorst (2015) as the approach. Using metaphors inspired by the square dance, I chose the concept of community-centred charity.
The vision of the service is to create a transparent, collective, and emotionally engaging community-centered charity system rooted in local community relationships.
This system aims to connect residents and underprivileged students meaningfully, utilize community resources to support diverse grassroots community charity activities, and empower community members to become active contributors rather than passive donors.
The key outcome, CommCharity, is a platform that connects community members and underprivileged students, provides channels for self-organized activities, and utilizes local resources.
The Community Story Portfolio is a physical book designed with categorized loose-leaf pages, co-created by community members and beneficiaries. It is used to record charity moments and the growth of beneficiaries, enhance the visibility of charity impact, and foster emotional interaction.
The storybook has four themes: micro-charity tasks, event gallery, growth journey, and feedback pool.
This community-centred charity fosters co-creation among various community actors, strengthens community networks, and promotes the reuse of local resources. It makes charity a daily and inclusive activity that increases public engagement, and filled the emotional gap presented in traditional education support program by reinforcing long-term companionship and mutual growth.
Contact
Yufan Li / Lyfan9331@gmail.com / Portfolio (behance.net)