The making of 'HomelessSMS'

HomelessSMS is a text messaging service for people in a socially isolated position. This project enables them to stay in contact with care workers and to build an informal support network. It is a story of how designers, technologists and entrepreneurs work with homeless people, service professionals and managers of organisations in order to provide social and economic added value enabled by everyday mobile technology in a complex social problem. This talk reflects how this social innovation project has evolved since 2010 in East London. It was initiated by Will Brayne and has gone through several iterations across South Korea and The Netherlands.

Ohyoon Kwon is an award-winning, independent service designer and social innovator, developing exciting concepts and bringing them to life. He works together with people, for people. His aim is to understand problems and conceptualize services and products that cannot be pigeonholed. Ohyoon brings concepts to life by prototyping and piloting together with end users and decision makers.

Albert Kivits has more than 20 years experience in the Public Service on the local and regional level, from policy officer to managing director. In his work, he connects the social and the economic domains in order to create Social Added Value.