Hop4Action - Anticipatory Action through Play

Shagun Puri

Summary
Final work

I'm a service & experience designer with a passion for crafting beautiful and intuitive human experiences in order to solve complex design problems and meet business goals. Through design and systems thinking in this project, I've implemented pluriversal design to address diversity, inclusion and climate justice into my work.

I'm a service & experience designer with a passion for crafting beautiful and intuitive human...

CollegeLondon College of Communication
CourseMA Service Design
Graduation year2023

Hop4Action is a service that enables flood preparedness in under-priviledged urban communities living in flood prone areas In Delhi NCR, India. The service helps by providing a space for discussion, planning and initiate anticipatory action through a traditional community game that allows residents to develop low-cost self-help systems before or during the monsoons.

Final work

Anthropogenic climate change is rendering hydro-meteorological disasters, such as rainfall, storms, and floods, increasingly unpredictable, frequent, and intense in India. The repercussions of these phenomena are distinctly experienced by economically marginalised communities in urban areas. Compounding the issue, the compartmentalised approach of government, urbanisation and disaster management bodies often results in the neglect of these communities residing in informal settlements at the administrative level. Consequently, there is an imperative to empower community members with awareness and a sense of ownership in order to undertake anticipatory actions that can effectively mitigate the risks and adverse consequences of these disasters.

This service focuses on exploring the impact of anthropogenic climate change-induced hydro-meteorological disasters in urban India, with a specific emphasis on the vulnerable communities in Delhi NCR. A unique service deliverable has been created as a key component, designed to facilitate community engagement and dialogue. At its core, the initiative takes the form of a community hopscotch game, strategically encouraging discussions on risks and safety.

The service was developed using the design justice framework (2018) while the interaction of the game including the questions and their flow are implemented through the UNDRR’s four pillars of Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (WMO, 2022) and the futures triangle (Inayatullah, 2008) respectively in order to establish the interactive and collaborative game into the service. Materials employ frugal innovation and bricolage to make use of available spaces and materials in a resource poor environment and still make the service work. This builds the experience design of the game encouraging disaster preparedness and awareness of risks and safety for communities and a human centred design approach through understanding the community’s needs by the volunteering agencies - overall bridging the gaps between local governments and communities.