Bridge // Volunteering for Social Adjustment
Bridge // Volunteering for Social Adjustment
THE CHALLENGE

After spending some time in Moray, Scotland, I observed that new Syrian refugees were isolated, and stood out in the community as foreign. I wanted to understand why, and how we could implement social design intervention to help integrate the new families into the local community. Along with a team of designers we quickly discovered a system of what we describe as "voluntolds" - individuals forced to volunteer in random placements, and soon find themselves in desperate places, both physically and emotionally.

After spending some time in Moray, Scotland, I observed that new Syrian refugees were isolated, and stood out in the community as foreign. I wanted to understand why, and how we could implement social design intervention to help integrate the new families into the local community. Along with a team of designers we quickly discovered a system of what we describe as “voluntolds” - individuals forced to volunteer in random placements, and soon find themselves in desperate places, both physically and emotionally.

THE INTERVENTION

After months of working with Third sector Interface Moray, Moray Council, Job Centre Plus, and a local social Enterprise -New Bold House-, we cocreated a flexible volunteering system that allows all individuals with community / work integration difficulties to experience different activities in the community without any long term commitment, allowing them to slowly discover what they like, and building a track record of experience, until they would become ready to make longer commitments in paid positions.

After months of working with Third sector Interface Moray, Moray Council, Job Centre Plus, and a local social Enterprise -New Bold House-, we cocreated a flexible volunteering system that allows all individuals with community / work integration difficulties to experience different activities in the community without any long term commitment, allowing them to slowly discover what they like, and building a track record of experience, until they would become ready to make longer commitments in paid positions.

YEAR

2017

ROLE

Design Research, Interaction Design

COLLABORATORS

Taigh Chearsabhagh

Process highlights

Design Research

  • Field Immersion& Observation: We spent time with refugees, time volunteering ourselves in New Bold House, time with council workers, as well as TSI workers while on the job; They would involve us in their daily tasks.

  • Stakeholder Mapping: Visualised the ecosystem of third-sector and council support, identifying silos and mismatches in roles, expectations, and communication.

  • Journey Mapping: Documented the settlement and daily routine of Syrian New Scots, highlighting gaps in time, space, and opportunity for community engagement. We also documented the journey of unemployed people in Moray, and found overlaps in the journeys.

  • Interviews: Conducted qualitative interviews with local authorities, social workers, Job Centre staff, and Syrian families to understand both policy-level and personal dynamics. We recorded the different perspectives, the difficulties they faced, and their ambition of an integrated future.

  • Conceptual Framework: Used Ager & Strang’s model of refugee integration to diagnose key barriers—especially around employment, social bridges, and cultural belonging.

  • The research in this project was quite difficult. The Syrian Refugees thought of me as a social worker and expected me to fix their problems, a true learning experience for me as a young researcher.

cocreatioN & Design

  • Collaborative Workshops: Ran sessions with volunteer coordinators and third-sector staff to prototype alternative systems of engagement and vet new ideas. This was done in during a conference for volunteer coordinators, where we were given the chance to run a 2 hour session with over 40 participants.

  • System Redesign: Developed a modular model for volunteering, enabling exploration over obligation, and tailoring roles to individual readiness.

  • Mobile App Design: Created an onboarding tool concept to help volunteers access opportunities, track their progress, and build a self-documented experience record.

  • Starter Kit: Designed a physical wallet to guide new volunteers through their first steps in the experience. The physical toolkit can also fully replace the digital experience for those who lack access to technology. The toolkit was also designed in Arabic and English.

  • Interactive Events: Activated the new service through local gatherings where people could sign up, share stories, and connect with coordinators in an informal, human way.

  • Service Blueprint: Outlined all back-end and front-stage interactions to pilot and scale the service with transparency and accountability.

Outcomes

  • Reframed Volunteering as Exploration: Shifted the model from mandated placements to open-ended, interest-led discovery, restoring agency to participants and placing emphasis over life experience and enjoyment over mandated chore.

  • Improved Wellbeing & Engagement: Both volunteers and volunteer coordinators provided early feedback that they were excited to start the program.

  • New found collaborations: We managed to connect several local governmental and nongovernmental organisations that never spoke to one another, and gave them one program that they can all be part of and improve gradually.

  • A real pathway to full integration: The system would help participants build real practical skills, soft skills, a sense of achievement and purpose, as well as a real track record they can take forward into employment.

  • A Replicable Framework: We believe that this project can be implemented widely in the UK, with tweaks to the system based on local nuances.

  • Looking back at this project in 2025, I see how refugees are in London and believe that this could really help solve real social issues we face today.

Design Research Communication

Conceptual prototype