2022
Quality of Life and the Solo-Living Experience in New York City
— Design Research
Team Project: Supanit, Ifah, Xiaoyu
This research is about the living experiences of solo-living women in New York City—to live and settle through different events while thriving to achieve their life fulfillment. We aim to understand the multiple drawbacks that some often overlook, the discrimination and inequality against their identity, causing financial, emotional, and mental burdens. The identified opportunities are to address the possibilities of improving their quality of life under a redefined affordability concept.
Challenges.
Rising numbers of single women, discrimination, and unsupported system
Despite being a tough place to live, many people dream of living in New York City for job opportunities. The expense of living is high. People have to figure out ways to live affordably. It’s becoming harder for people to settle in and find solid financial footing, especially for the solo-living women seeking independence framed by society to fall through much easier. They are facing multiple drawbacks, financially and emotionally, recognized and unrecognized.
How might we improve the quality of living experience for solo-living women in New York City?
Approach.
Aiming to understand their inequitable experiences and explore the concept of ‘affordability’ from another perspective, we conducted in-depth research, both secondary and primary, where we found correlations between different factors influencing their living experiences. Later, we identified their pain points, daily routines, and aspirations with primary research. The common themes and patterns underlying their needs and desires, including the unseen circumstances society put on them, led to core insights and what solo-living women truly seek.
It's not just a personal aspiration but also a breakthrough in the unseen pressure of status. It's about receiving the resources and support that could facilitate them to that life fulfillment.
based on contextual, quantitative, and qualitative research
Opportunities.
To redefine affordability, monetary value is no longer the only factor to be considered to improve the quality of life for solo-living women. Affordability is decision-making regarded within the scope of prioritizing and finding the balance of other aspects of life, unmeasurable value, e.g., time, energy, emotion, and experience. Considering the concept of 'new affordability' as a core, we identified opportunities through co-creation workshops and group brainstorming.
The identified opportunities are addressed in the framework considering which factor could be involved. The overlaps display that multiple factors could take part and create an impact. Moreover, it implies that the area with various opportunities could potentially contribute the most impact for solo-living women, which is densely addressed around the community here.
The Overarching Opportunities Area
The overarching opportunity may embrace community building to benefit equal rights for everyone, generalize the social norms, and encourage self-exploration and satisfaction. It could be implemented as a platform or a program where community building, e.g., collaborative and mentorship program, among themselves and the society, provides a sense of belonging, broader needs, and empowerment to support solo-living women to have a better quality of life– through the balance of beyond monetary value.
How might we build community and a sense of belonging to empower and support solo-living women among themselves and society?
For full report, clike here.