Disconnected Youth
Project Overview
MICA Social Design Master of Arts Thesis
Year: 2019 - 2020
Collaborating with: Mayor’s Office of Employment Development
Human-Centered Design Research, UI Concept Design
"Disconnected Youth" refers to young adults aged 16 to 24 who are neither working nor in school. In Maryland, there are 72,200 disconnected youth, with nearly 18,000 residing in Baltimore City alone. This places Baltimore City among the highest proportions of youth disconnection in the United States, with more than 1 out of every 5 young people affected. Among these, African Americans face the highest rate of disconnection at 80%, a significant figure given that they make up 64% of the city's population.
In collaboration with my community partner, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), we explored the issue of youth disconnection with a focus on unemployment. The goal was to identify the critical barriers that prevent Baltimore’s youth from gaining employment and to discover opportunities that could lead them toward a viable employment pathway.
The introduction video of my project
Design Challenge
“How might we connect Baltimore Youth both in and out of school to a path of employment?”
Human-Centered Design
Throughout the project, I employed a human-centered and collaborative approach to accurately understand and define the challenges, identify opportunities, and generate innovative ideas. In the final stage of the process, I proposed a concept design aimed at supporting youth employment.
Research Recap
Research is a crucial initial step in the Human-Centered Design (HCD) process. During this phase, I engaged in secondary research and conducted interviews with staff members at the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) to appropriately define a design challenge and deepen my understanding of the culture and context of Baltimore's youth. I participated in meetings of the Baltimore Workforce Development Board (BWDB) Youth Committee to learn about current government policies and programs related to youth employment. Additionally, I visited 'Yo! Baltimore' and 'The Eastside Career Center,' both operated by MOED, to observe and interact with both staff and youth. I also conducted in-depth interviews with youth from the Wide Angle Youth Media organization. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, I carried out a Google online survey targeting Baltimore youth to further understand their needs and aspirations.
Guiding Questions
What does the job search experience look like for youth in Baltimore?
What are the things that keep youth from building a career?
What kind of education, training, information, and service will be helpful for youth to overcome existing barriers and build careers?
Methods
Secondary research, workshops, card sorting, interviews, surveys, observation
1. Secondary Research
2. Workshops with the BWBD youth committee
3. Observation
4. Surveys & Interviews
5. Research findings
Synthesis
At this stage in the human-centered design process, I compiled my observations and research findings, seeking out common themes and insights. I embraced unexpected ideas and identified appropriate opportunities for intervention.
I organized the findings by categorizing all data into several distinct groups. Quotes, stories, and observations were grouped under specific insights. From these insights, I identified opportunities for potential improvements.
Ideation
The human-centered design (HCD) process emphasizes generating as many ideas as possible while suspending judgment. The objective is to visualize the inception of ideas and share them openly. Participants are encouraged to draw concepts rather than outcomes, document the process, and consistently combine and refine new concepts.
Originally, I planned to gather a group of staff members and youth to share insights and generate ideas together. However, due to the constraints imposed by COVID-19, I instead organized two online ideation sessions with members of my MICA cohort and youth from the Wide Angle Youth Media organization.
During these sessions, participants reviewed each insight and opportunity and contributed their ideas in the form of comments. They were encouraged to think creatively, defer judgment, and generate a plethora of ideas. After the ideation phase, I categorized the ideas into common themes and selected the top concepts. These were then refined into four practical, feasible, and desirable ideas.
Creating a platform
Building a relationship
Providing practical support
Establishing systems
Prototype
Creating tangible representations of ideas is a crucial step in the Human-Centered Design (HCD) process, as it allows for testing assumptions with stakeholders. Early testing of these assumptions helps uncover potential problems, reduce risks, and enhance the final outcome.
Draft prototypes
Final design ideas
1. A youth-specific platform
“Most jobs are not for students, especially those who don’t yet have a high school diploma. Those are paid very little.”
Many young job seekers in Baltimore face discrimination during the job application process due to their age and race. Additionally, they often feel undervalued and disrespected throughout the job-seeking journey. Inflexible scheduling and high requirements present significant barriers to securing entry-level positions, especially for those still in school. There is a strong desire among these individuals for a youth-specific platform that can guide them to appropriate job opportunities.
In response, I developed the concept for the “BYE: Baltimore Youth Employment” app to facilitate legitimate, equal, and positive job-hunting experiences for youth. This app allows young people to select their personality type (outgoing, introverted, active, etc.), which directly influences the job recommendations they receive. To combat discrimination, the app features a blind application process in the initial round. Users can also track their application status and receive personalized counseling on issues such as expunging criminal records and accessing mental health support.
2. Weekly Talks
“Lack of information resources and finances are the primary barriers to attaining a career, not a lack of AMBITION!”
This prototype is designed to provide young people with detailed knowledge about specific careers. By creating a YouTube channel that showcases various careers and companies, including their work environments and projects, we aim to help youth gain a better understanding of what their roles would entail if they were to secure a job in those fields. Many young people have expressed uncertainty about which career path is best for them while they are still in school. Hosting weekly talks on YouTube will offer them a concrete image of different careers, assisting them in making informed decisions about their futures.
3. Online coaching
“School counselor mostly does college stuff.”
Many young people in Baltimore lack access to a school counselor, and although numerous youth organizations exist within the city, they often remain unknown to those who need them most. Additionally, transportation barriers, such as not owning a car, further complicate access to these resources. Especially during the pandemic, online coaching has emerged as the most effective way to disseminate information about job opportunities and available resources to these youths.
4. The on-and-off campus fellowship program
“After school, I go directly to a housekeeping job at Johns Hopkins everyday and return home at midnight.”
This prototype is designed to enable youth to work while they continue their schooling. Many young people in Baltimore discontinue their studies because they need to earn money to support their families. Through the proposed on-and-off campus fellowship program, students can earn money and also receive academic credits for their work, thereby reducing their study load. In exchange for employing student fellows, participating companies will receive a grant from the government.
5. Baltimore Youth Career Night
“You gotta know somebody who knows somebody. But it shouldn’t be like that.”
This prototype aims to foster relationships among young people and between employers and young job seekers throughout Baltimore City. It also encourages young people to connect with other youth organizations and career centers. Building trust is crucial in these relationships, and this initiative is designed to help youth cultivate meaningful connections that can lead them on a path to employment.
Next Step & Reflection
The next step in the Human-Centered Design (HCD) process is the implementation and iteration phase. I will submit my research findings and a proposal to the Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) to aid in developing a strategy for youth employment in Baltimore.
The issue of youth employment in this city is urgent and complex, influenced by an interconnected web of factors that has led to increasing unemployment rates. During my project, I grappled with structural racism and systemic poverty, the critical barriers to employment, feeling overwhelmed and somewhat powerless at times. Recognizing my limitations, I focused on identifying areas where I could make a tangible impact. As an international observer, understanding Baltimore's historical context and empathizing with the core issues became my priority. To bridge my knowledge gap, I watched the documentary film "Charm City" about Baltimore's racial issues, and supplemented my understanding with books and articles.
As I conclude my project, I am thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with the MOED. Despite wishing for more active participation in some areas and facing challenges such as the COVID pandemic, which hindered in-person interviews and disrupted the traditional HCD process, I found alternative methods to continue making progress. I am hopeful that these proposals will soon be implemented and will provide practical support for Baltimore's youth.
