One of our favourite projects was with the Health Equity and Access in Rural Regions (HEARR) Initiative, supported by the Mayor's Office in Scottsville, VA. Our team was commissioned to explore health disparities in rural areas, specifically within a ten-mile radius of Scottsville. The goal: understand what could make the community a healthy place to live, and what Scottsville could do to improve the wellbeing of its residents.
Starting With Research
We started with onsite interviews and observations of the current state of health and wellbeing. Through this research process, we identified many pain points and opportunity areas (more walkable paths near the waterfront, improved internet, etc.).
Like many design researchers, we went through the process of synthesising our insights into stakeholder maps, personas, and customer journeys. The result was 64 future state recommendations (delayed school start times, improved air quality, creating a better sense of community, etc.) to improve the current situation and align with the city's ongoing work.
The needs of the people in the area were understood holistically, and then intervention frames were prioritised with the community and HEARR team guidance.
Community Workshop
We supported HEARR in running a public workshop to gather insights and feedback from the citizens of Scottsville. This included an original list of recommendations to improve citizen happiness and wellbeing. These concepts ranged from improving air quality to creating a better sense of community.
From the original list of 64 recommendations, 7 concepts were identified by the community as frontrunners to develop further.
Impact and Feedback
We had an amazing time working with the HEARR group. The team is currently testing these concepts and integrating additional ideas into their work, including Town Council committee initiatives.
"The (MMSZ) team brought understanding and enthusiasm to our project by exploring and finding solutions to health inequities in our rural region in Central Virginia. Their philosophy that happiness and equality is at the centre of health fit perfectly with our vision." — Nancy
This project captures what Masamichi Souzou's civic happiness design looks like in practice: starting with the people, understanding their needs holistically, and co-designing solutions that the community itself prioritises.