Challenge Reflection-Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

Hello! I work in private economic policy research agency in South Korea. We devise policies that

can solve problems the local government is facing, and submit them to the local government for

references. The more successful the policy becomes, the higher profit we gain. I took this course to

make some creative ideas when I face challenges with devising policies.

South Korea’s current problem is that the population is aging drastically, and there are many

senior citizens living alone with no family. This is a severe problem to the local government as well.

Not only the number of these citizens are increasing, the suicide rate of these citizens is growing

as well. Our agency has worked really hard to make policies solving this problem. We suggested

polices that provide more subsides to the elderlies, but the rate didn’t seem to decrease. We also

used many tools and did a lot of surveys figuring out what the fundamental problem is, but weren’t

successful as well. Taking this course, I thought maybe storytelling could be a proper design tool

that I can give a shot, finding out what factors make the elderlies so depressive.

I learned that storytelling is not just simply telling sloppy stories to the audience. From the video

I watched, I learned that the emotional connection with the people we give storytelling is really

important. It has to captivate the audience to change their perceptions.

Application

I discussed with my agency about this plan, and we carried out a conversation with 20 chosen

elderly people who were above 65 years old. All of them lived alone for at least 5 years and they

all showed symptoms of depression. This was a huge change because we used to do surveys on

paper and it was a first time to actually invite them and have a real ‘face to face talk.’ When they

all gathered, I started my storytelling. I told them about my grandfather who lived alone for a long

time, but had quite a decent life thanks to the subsidies from the government which were enough

to go traveling sometimes and have some nice meals occasionally. I also told them about all kinds

of subsidies from the local government they can get, since I thought that many of them were not

aware of these things. I believed that my storytelling would be quite effective, but many of them’s

reaction were lukewarm. Then, an old woman wanted to make a speech as well, so I let her. She

told me that money is not an essential problem and the subsides were enough to make a living.

She told me that all she wants is to see her children and grandchildren more often, or at least have

a talk with any people. She says the most thing that makes her frustrated is sitting on a couch every

single day watching TV shows. Many other people nodded when she spoke and agreed with her

speech, bemoaning their lonely life. I listen carefully to all of their speech, and I told them that my

grandfather had similar issues so he made a group with his neighbors. They had regular meetings,

playing chess and having lunch together. I suggested that they can have these meetings as well,

even though it was the first time they met each other. Some of them seemed quite interested in it.

Insight & Approach

I always thought that ‘social connection’ could be one of the factors, but our agency didn’t focus

on these factors since we thought that they were minor problems comparing with monetary issues.

Few ideas started to pop out of my brain. I started thinking that it would be nice to make a social

network between the elderlies who needed to have social relationships. However, the problem was

that SNS would not work for them because most of them don’t know how to use internet. I thought

that maybe I could use ‘Journey Mapping Tool’, which was mentioned earlier in the course. I could

enter their lives temporarily, observing their daily life and figuring out how I can make social network

between them in a way they can comprehend.

Furthermore, I thought that providing them jobs would also be an excellent method to help them

be socially involved, and also be financially independent. Even though the kinds of jobs would be

limited, I believed most of them might find jobs that they are capable of based on their previous

occupations, if the government help them. Visualization could be a method that I could use when

devising the policy, asking them to create a collage of image of the jobs they want to have during

the rest of their lives.

I told the agency about these ideas and most of them were quite satisfied, commenting that it

would make a good policy if specific details are added. After all, storytelling performed a huge role

for my career.


Challenge Reflection - Storytelling Challenge & Selection Hello ! I work in private economic policy research agency in South Korea . We devise policies that can solve problems the local government is facing , and submit them to the local government for references . The more successful the policy becomes , the higher profit we gain . I took this course to make some creative ideas when I face challenges with devising policies . South Korea ’s current problem is that the population is aging drastically , and there are many senior citizens living alone with no family . This is a severe problem to the local government as well . Not only the number of these citizens are increasing , the suicide rate of these citizens is growing as well . Our agency has worked really hard to make policies solving this problem . We suggested polices that provide more subsides to the elderlies , but the rate did n’t seem to decrease . We also used many tools and did a lot of surveys figuring out what the fundamental problem is , but were n’t successful as well . Taking this course , I thought maybe storytelling could be a proper design tool that I can give a shot , finding out what factors make the elderlies so depressive . I learned that storytelling is not just simply telling sloppy stories to the audience . From the video I watched , I learned that the emotional connection with the people we give storytelling is really important . It has to captivate the audience to change their perceptions . Application I discussed with my agency about this plan , and we carried out a conversation with 20 chosen elderly people who were above 65 years old . All of them lived alone for at least 5 years and they all showed symptoms of depression . This was a huge change because we used to do surveys on paper and it was a first time to actually invite them and have a real ‘ face to face talk . ’ When they all gathered , I started my storytelling . I told them about my grandfather who lived alone for a long time , but had quite a decent life thanks to the subsidies from the government which were enough to go traveling sometimes and have some nice meals occasionally . I also told them about all kinds of subsidies from the local government they can get , since I thought that many of them were not aware of these things . I believed that my storytelling would be quite effective , but many of them ’s reaction were lukewarm . Then , an old woman wanted to make a speech as well , so I let her . She told me that money is not an essential problem and the subsides were enough to make a living . She told me that all she wants is to see her children and grandchildren more often , or at least have a talk with any people . She says the most thing that makes her frustrated is sitting on a couch every single day watching TV shows . Many other people nodded when she spoke and agreed with her speech , bemoaning their lonely life . I listen carefully to all of their speech , and I told them that my grandfather had similar issues so he made a group with his neighbors . They had regular meetings , playing chess and having lunch together . I suggested that they can have these meetings as well , even though it was the first time they met each other . Some of them seemed quite interested in it . Insight & Approach I always thought that ‘ social connection ’ could be one of the factors , but our agency did n’t focus on these factors since we thought that they were minor problems comparing with monetary issues . Few ideas started to pop out of my brain . I started thinking that it would be nice to make a social network between the elderlies who needed to have social relationships . However , the problem was that SNS would not work for them because most of them do n’t know how to use internet . I thought that maybe I could use ‘ Journey Mapping Tool ’ , which was mentioned earlier in the course . I could enter their lives temporarily , observing their daily life and figuring out how I can make social network between them in a way they can comprehend . Furthermore , I thought that providing them jobs would also be an excellent method to help them be socially involved , and also be financially independent . Even though the kinds of jobs would be limited , I believed most of them might find jobs that they are capable of based on their previous occupations , if the government help them . Visualization could be a method that I could use when devising the policy , asking them to create a collage of image of the jobs they want to have during the rest of their lives . I told the agency about these ideas and most of them were quite satisfied , commenting that it would make a good policy if specific details are added . After all , storytelling performed a huge role for my career .