Baham bolani

UX/Service design (2018)

Thesis project I

This project explores storytelling tools for the collaborative work with persons in vulnerable situation, in this case, a group of unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan living in Umeå, Sweden.

The title of the project is Storytelling for intercultural dialogue: experience design with unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan, and with this community of friends, the creative exploration was carried our with a theoretical approach from a decolonising and feminist point of view, with collaborative design methods. With their own stories, they fill in the gap of how unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers are depicted in the dominant narrative. It is them providing meaning to the design concept.

Playing with images and words

Exploration of movements and emotions

Metaphors and actions

Exploring memories and dreams

Mapping out concepts and ideas

Sketching together

Sketches on napkins

Planning the execution

Communication plan

Conceptual mapping including sketches

Map findings

Sound impressions from the codesign workshop.

The creative process

The participants –a group of friends from Afghanistan and solidary friends of them– had the unique opportunity of participating in a gala event for raising awareness and funds for young persons from Afghanistan in a refugee situation in Sweden. These friends had already identified the bolani, a popular flatbread from Afghanistan, as something that they could produce and sell in this occassion.

However, we wanted to tackle the narrative around their situation, and design the encounter to surpass the common assumptions and establish a more equal interaction between them and the attendants to the event.

The experience and service design concept was worked through a codesign workshop, that focused on storytelling tools. This workshop included visual cues, playing with emotions, words, memories and dreams.

Connecting workshop and concept

Engagement texts in speech bubbles

Baking bolani!

Graphic exploration

"I am a guest in a bolani party!"

"Can we create a country with no borders?"

"Here, we share pride, joy and warmth!"

It tastes better together

Outcomes

Baham bolani: An eating experience around the bolani, supported by brand design and visual communication, that could foster interactions in an intercultural dialogue, sharing a new narrative created by the participants, to inspire solidarity from a more mutual point of view.

Materials both in digital and printed formats were produced to be shown and used in the event, as well as promotion material before the event. The materials emphasized the main notion: Togetherness.

These materials were presented in the Gala event at Norrlands Opera (Umeå, Sweden) for around 400 persons, that interacted with the participants, and learned more about them and their situation. The concept was tested and then continued to be used in other ocassions afterwards.