Author ORCID Identifier
Khushnood Z. Naqshbandi: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2646-2372
Abstract
With the advent of digital technology, many individuals completely or partially transition to digital platforms for volunteering. Many of these platforms do not take volunteer needs, values and experiences into account in design. Additionally, many online experiences are different to face-to-face ones as volunteers find it challenging to relate to the beneficiaries or to express/feel gratitude. In this paper, we used generative methods and tools in two codesign workshops with volunteers in an educational program involving both online and physical modules. Based on findings relevant to the mode of volunteering, people, self and future desires, we identified four areas of design opportunities to foster relatedness and gratitude in online volunteering and reduce disparities between online and physical volunteering experiences. We contribute new directions for improving the design of digital volunteering platforms through personalised solutions that support gratitude, social bonding, better communication of shared experiences and goals, and community building.
Keywords
Prosocial; volunteering; generative tools; codesign
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.281
Citation
Naqshbandi, K., Taylor, S., Pillai, A., and Ahmadpour, N. (2020) Designing for Helpers: Identifying new design opportunities for digital volunteerism, in Boess, S., Cheung, M. and Cain, R. (eds.), Synergy - DRS International Conference 2020, 11-14 August, Held online. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.281
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Designing for Helpers: Identifying new design opportunities for digital volunteerism
With the advent of digital technology, many individuals completely or partially transition to digital platforms for volunteering. Many of these platforms do not take volunteer needs, values and experiences into account in design. Additionally, many online experiences are different to face-to-face ones as volunteers find it challenging to relate to the beneficiaries or to express/feel gratitude. In this paper, we used generative methods and tools in two codesign workshops with volunteers in an educational program involving both online and physical modules. Based on findings relevant to the mode of volunteering, people, self and future desires, we identified four areas of design opportunities to foster relatedness and gratitude in online volunteering and reduce disparities between online and physical volunteering experiences. We contribute new directions for improving the design of digital volunteering platforms through personalised solutions that support gratitude, social bonding, better communication of shared experiences and goals, and community building.