Film maker and experience designer Lance Weiler talks to Innovation Unit about evoking empathy in public services through user experience and storytelling.

Lance leads the Digital Storytelling Lab at Columbia University. He acted as executive producer on My Sky Is Falling - an immersive storyworld that aims to raise awareness about the challenges American foster children face before they age out of the foster care system.

Hear how stories of identity, and collaboration with foster youth lead to the creation of a powerful prototype. Designed around immersive role playing, people are given the opportunity to walk in the shoes of those who normally do not have a voice, experiencing empathy and emotion along the way.

Learn more:
http://www.myskyisfalling.com
http://www.lanceweiler.com/


Lance Weiler speaks to Innovation Unit: creating empathy through storytelling

What do alternative reality games have to offer to social change? 

Ken Eklund is an American Games and Experience Designer who creates immersive games to engage people in real-world issues. 

He speaks to the Innovation Unit about his idea of "serious play", and about one of his latest project Ed Zed Omega, in which he worked with six teens to reimagine the educational system.

Learn more:
http://www.wired.com/2012/08/ed-zed-omega-rethinking-education/
http://edzedomega.org/

Ken Eklund speaks to Innovation Unit - EdZedOmega

Listen to Denis O'Rourke of Lambeth CCG talk to Innovation Unit about enabling community-led commissioning in mental health services, and lessons he has learnt along the way.

Denis O'Rourke speaks to Innovation Unit - Mental Health service provision in Lambeth

'It took determination. At one point we thought it wouldn't work.' 

Karen Kenton & Laura Beasley of Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale CCG were determined to embed a collaborative process at the heart of the council's commissioning activity. 

Hear Karen's reflections about working with Innovation Unit to fully co-design with children, young people and families new emotional & mental health services in Rochdale.

Find out more:

http://www.innovationunit.org/
http://www.hmr.nhs.uk/
https://twitter.com/Innovation_Unit
https://twitter.com/NHSHMR

Karen Kenton speaks to Innovation Unit - Co-designing children's mental health services

We are the innovation partner for public services. We are innovation experts - a collaborative of designers, researchers, public service leaders and practitioners.

We work with ambitious people who lead, deliver and use public services. Together, we develop radically different, better, lower cost solutions to complex social challenges.

We believe that public services are critical to everyone's well-being, but often they don’t meet people’s needs. Our skills, tools and planning create services and systems that help people lead better lives.

We are an independent social enterprise, funded by the projects we undertake for clients across the public, private and charity sectors.