24 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge at the European Business Conference 2010, Oslo, Norway, 20-21 May, 2010, organised by the Norwegian Design Council
Team FM
Team leader: Frederik Matheson, Bekk Consulting AS
Design partner: Grethe Sølvi Lie
The issue
Every year, many people in Norway experience life-changing events when their health, abilities and life context change. Having been in control of their lives, they suddenly may have to cope with changes. Friends and family can give support but to be knowledgeable for a new situation, information is needed.
Many people have gone through such a change and they may have learnt to deal with their new situation with difficulty, gaining substantial experience and insight on the way. They can share their experiences and expertise they have gathered.
The design solution
Switchboard is a service that connects people undergoing a life-altering event with those who have lived through and dealt with similar situations.
The core of the service is a tool that accurately matches experts and novices. Factors such as disease or condition, age, gender, location and any number of personal preferences are combined with feedback on previous pairings to produce likely matches.
Users can access Switchboard via their phone, browser, SMS and instant Messaging, but the goal is to connect them in person. Talking to someone who understands and can give a perspective that is not offered in a brochure, on a screen or from behind a counter is made possible.
Switchboard will be owned and operated as a non-profit foundation. Initial funding will come from organisations that offer this service to their members. Additional revenue will be generated through licensing the matching engine for use with Microsoft SharePoint 2010 as an expert locator.
Should something happen to you or your loved ones tomorrow Switchboard offers a simpler way of finding someone who can give you guidance.
Download Team FM presentation here (3.7MB PDF)
