Social Practice Research
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Personal Project
A semester-long Social Practice Research project, where each student focuses on social minority issues. I chose to develop a tailored space and platform design for migrant workers in the Majuqiao area.
Field work, In-depth Research, Co-creation board, System design, Offline institution modeling, Online app learning platform, Service Map.
Sep.2023 - Feb. 2024
Majuqiao, China
Who are they?
Migrant workers
Migrant workers in China, aged 15-45, often leave school early due to family poverty and rely on physical labor for income. Lacking formal education, they form labor markets in various regions, relying heavily on low-skilled job brokers.
Challenges Faced by Migrant Workers
Declining Availability of Daily-Paid Jobs
The relocation of foreign investments to countries like Vietnam and India has reduced labor-intensive jobs in China. This has led to much fewer daily-paid job opportunities.
Field Research
Majuqiao Labor Market — The Largest Labor Market Near Beijing
Majuqiao, located on Beijing's outskirts, is the city’s largest labor market, offering lower living costs. Despite the abundance of daily-paid jobs in the past, manual labor opportunities are increasingly scarce.
Interviews — The Real Experiences of Migrant Workers in Majuqiao.
I conducted in-depth interviews with three migrant workers at a noodle shop, as there was no suitable interview location in Majuqiao. The noodle shop offered a more relaxed environment for them to freely express their true feelings.
Key Insights
Migrant Workers Seek New Skills for Better Job Opportunities
Current Feelings:
Labor jobs are becoming increasingly hard to find, causing financial stress. Every day is a struggle for survival, without hope.
Asipirations:
Migrant workers aspire to acquire skills to improve their current living conditions and enhance job prospects, as pure labor jobs are very hard to find in Majuqiao.
Pain points:
However, existing vocational training, whether free government programs or private courses, presents barriers preventing their participation.
Existing Training
Institution Analysis:
Problem Statement：
Due to declining job opportunities, migrant workers seek new skills to secure better jobs. However, both government and private vocational training programs face barriers that limit access.
Co-creation Design Board to develop a new vocational training institution
To design a new vocational training institution, I collaborated with migrant workers using a co-creation board. Since some participants could not write, they voted on different ideas and provided feedback using stickers.
How to Use Each Grid of the Co-creation Board?
For each grid, there are two plans. They vote for their preferred one and can add their thoughts using stickers.
The outcome of this co-creation board:
The Process Flow of the 'The First Step' Vocational Training Institution
Key Features of 'The First Step' Vocational Training Institution
Two Components of the 'The First Step' Vocational Training Institution
Offline Component — Physical Training Facility
An offline center managing enrollment, consultations, classes, and other essential functions.
Vocational Training Institution Site Selection
Online Component — Mobile Learning App
This app facilitates seamless integration with offline classes. Enabling users to review and preview course content, complete course quizzes, and engage in discussions with teachers and classmates.
Low-Fidelity Interfaces
High-Fidelity Interfaces
Landing pages
Plan pages
Course Pages
Social Pages
System Design — Integrating Online and Offline Components
Conclusion
One participant in the interview mentioned, “If life is a staircase, then I think I haven’t stepped on the first one.” That’s why I named this project “The First Step.” Let’s help everyone in this world take their first step successfully and, ultimately, create a world without staircases.