February – April 2024

In this project, I worked towards improving the communication within the village of Kalvsvik in Småland, Sweden, by applying service design methods.

“There is a problem with our communication. We are having a hard time reaching out to people. “

This was the starting point of my project. I wanted to understand the specific details of the problem and be able to point it out to the people who are part of the communication system. The goal was to show possibilities to the associations that wanted to see a change and inspire them to act. My role as a designer was to be an observer, a reflector and a catalyst.

To better understand what the problems behind this statement were, I conducted qualitative research. You can never talk to too many people!

In order to understand the problem I:

• Walked around Kalvsvik and observed
• Participated in community engagement events
• Conducted on-site interviews
• Sent out surveys
• Interviewed board members of associations

Research Results:

Most residents in Kalvsvik were satisfied with the information they received, but the associations had very different opinions. Some were satisfied, while others were eager to develop Kalvsvik internal communication. Despite a common goal to promote an active social life in the life in the village, there was no exchange of information or cooperation between associations.

I summarized ideas raised during my research, presented them at a development meeting and asked for feedback on what aspect of communication people would like to see developed.

I took on the role of a communicator by approaching the community in Kalvsvik. I collected opinions, ideas and perceived challenges from residents and representatives of the associations to find the best approach for understanding as well as improving the situation. The findings from this research were reflected back to the residents in order to provide them with an overview of the current situation. This was done with the aim to help articulate their ideas and drive self-reliant change.

At the core of my project was the conviction that any change of significance requires collective effort. No individual can affect lasting change alone.

In a workshop, which I held with representatives of three associations in Kalvsvik, I focused on supporting existing efforts in the community through effectively exploring communication approaches and ways to create teams. A collaborator expressed their delight in finding like-minded individuals sharing their wish for positive transformation:

“I am so happy to see that there’s others who think the same as me, that we’re a little group that wants to make change happen.”

The participants left the workshop inspired, with concrete first steps to bring associations closer together and enable cooperation.

The result of this project

After my workshop, one participant started a project group to develop a new website for Kalvsvik, a wish expressed several times at the development meeting. I was hired as the project manager to lead the project.

We communicated with various associations and several residents to create a website tailored to Kalvsvik’s communication needs, with easy access to event information and an attractive online presence for potential new residents and visitors. I successfully coordinated input from 10 associations and several local businesses to ensure a comprehensive representation. Now, in the final stages, the website is being developed by a web developer and is planned to be launched in February/March 2025.