Client: UNHCR & What Design Can Do – original concept // further development as part of Stephanie’s own commitment to helping refugees.
narrative: breaking borders - a guerrilla marketing campaign to enable a personal connection between refugees and local residents, share refugees stories and facilitate integration.
The initial concept behind the i’mMIGRATION project was developed in response to UNHCR & What Design Can Dos’ Refugee Crisis Challenge with the aim of enabling a personal connection between refugees and local residents, sharing refugees stories and facilitating integration within European cities.
Kits containing customisable 2D wooden figures with a magnet on the back are distributed in to refugees in camps, refuges and holding centres where they are personalised with paint and a QR code linking to a website where the refugees journeys and video stories are shared.
A sticker with the words ” I am a real person! Find out who I am by scanning the QR code.” is affixed to each wooden figure.
The wooden figures are then disseminated into the public realm on public transport, in cafes, shopping centres and in the street where they are found by local residents who can link to , creating an instant human connection when the refugees story is revealed, as if the refugee had reached out to the person who found them.
The website has a safely monitored facility to open up communication between the refugee and the person who found the wooden figure who can send messages to the refugee offering help with getting to know the city and it’s facilities, work or other support. The end goal is to increase positive attitudes towards refugees by sharing their stories and helping them to integrate into their adopted city.
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- 1 .Toolkit containing materials to customise a 2D wooden figure is distributed to the refugees in camps, refuges and holding centres
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- 2. The 2D wooden figures have a magnetic backing and a QR code linking to a website. They can be personalised by the refugees and then disseminated into the public realm in where they are found by local resident.
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- 3. Refugees personalise the wooden figures and a short video of their journey and story is uploaded to a secure website.
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- 4. The 2D magnetic wooden figures are distributed into the public realm where they are found by local residents.
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- 5. The person who found the wooden figure is directed via a QR code to a secure website where the refugees stories are shared . The local resident can send messages of support or offers to help the refugee to integrate into their adopted city via the website, thus building a relationship and helping to create positive attitudes to refugees.