Baywise: A community-powered tourism service
Leveraging local tourism to combat elderly social isolation in Robin Hood’s Bay, England, United Kingdom.
Project Overview
Public Health England identifies social isolation as a critical health issue for those aged 65+.
This exploratory project began with a my personal motivation in helping local seniors combat isolation. I immersed myself in the community for three months, conducting ethnographic research to understand their lives and uncover opportunity areas. I discovered seniors' deep connection to local history and the town's rich tourism heritage, then partnered with the local museum and National Trust to co-create a solution.
Key Research Questions
- What are local seniors’ lives like in Robin Hood’s Bay? - What are their real social needs? - What opportunity areas exist to address these needs?
Project outcome
Reframed local tourism as a social innovation platform that empowers seniors as storytellers.
I developed Baywise, a community-powered tourism service, that brings history to life and where seniors become storytellers and living historians. Through immersive games and roleplay with visitors, it fosters inter-generational connection and gives elders a renewed sense of purpose.
The reason why I include this project
It is the most exploratory project I have had, because it didn't start with a brief or predefined methods. I started with a genuine intention to help and gradually discovered the direction through deep immersion, constantly defining my next steps based on what I learned.
My Role
User researcher, Service designer
The Team
Individual project
industry
Community Well-being
Tourism
Food & Beverage
Design attributes
Service Design
Social Innovation
Exploratory Research
Skills
Ethnographic Research · Co-creation Facilitation · Persona Development · Service Blueprinting · Ecosystem Mapping · Storyboarding
tools
Figjam, Figma, Procreate, 3D printing
timeline
Jun - Aug 2023 (3 months)