Client
European Movement Latvia
location
Latvia
Working with young people in Latvia, this inquiry explored why civic participation often felt disconnected from their everyday lives and future aspirations. While traditional approaches frequently focus on encouraging participation, our research suggested the challenge lay elsewhere: civic engagement often failed to feel personally relevant or connected to the futures young people imagined for themselves.
This inquiry explored how civic participation might become personally meaningful by reframing it as something that could support individual aspirations rather than simply fulfil a civic responsibility.
"Rather than asking how to encourage participation, we began asking how participation could become personally meaningful."
What I Learned
My Role
I worked as a Design Researcher, Facilitator, and Strategic Designer. I planned and conducted qualitative research, facilitated workshops, synthesised research findings, reframed the design challenge, contributed to concept development, and co-designed the AI-supported service concept.
How My Understanding Evolved
Understanding
We began by asking how to increase civic participation among young people.
Research showed that young people were not disengaged because they lacked interest in society. Instead, they were focused on building their identities, relationships, and future aspirations.
Reframing
As we synthesised our research, we realised our analysis explained behaviour but overlooked the emotional dimension.
Returning to the data through a more empathetic lens revealed that civic participation felt disconnected from the futures young people imagined for themselves.
Rather than asking how to encourage participation, we began asking how participation could become personally meaningful.
Connection
This shifted our focus from the present to the future.
Instead of presenting civic participation as a responsibility, we designed an experience that helped young people explore how their aspirations, skills, and interests could contribute to society.
AI emerged as a way to personalise that journey, rather than as the focus of the solution.
Designing the Response
How I Approached It
The inquiry combined qualitative research, systems thinking, co-creation, and rapid experimentation to understand what motivates participation and explore how AI could support more meaningful civic experiences.
Understand
Secondary research
Interviews with young people and adults
Participant observation
Digital diary study
City mapping workshop
Make Sense
Affinity mapping
Systems thinking
Gigamapping
Empathy mapping
AI-assisted synthesis
Design
Insight validation workshop
Co-creation
Concept development
Service concept design
Experiment
Wizard of Oz prototype
Prompt engineering
Prototype testing
Iteration
Design Response
We designed Echo, an AI-supported civic mentor that helps young people imagine a future version of themselves and explore how their interests, skills, and aspirations can contribute to society.
Rather than teaching civic participation directly, Echo connects personal ambitions with meaningful opportunities for civic action, making participation feel relevant, achievable, and self-directed.
Instead of asking "How do we get young people to participate?", the service asks "Who do you want to become, and how can civic participation help you get there?"
Outputs
Research
Qualitative research | Systems map | Insight synthesis
Validation
Co-creation workshop | Wizard of Oz prototype
Concept
Echo service concept
Publication
Co-authored Touchpoint journal article Link to article in SDN Touchpoint Journal Vol. 17
Impact & Reflection
Impact
Service concept presented to the client with a phased implementation roadmap.
Demonstrated how AI could support more personalised and emotionally engaging civic learning.
Inquiry resulted in a co-authored article published in Touchpoint, the journal of the Service Design Network.
Reflection
This inquiry reinforced my belief that meaningful participation begins with personal relevance rather than persuasion. Designing services is not only about solving practical problems, but about understanding what motivates people and creating experiences that connect organisational goals with individual aspirations.
It also strengthened my view that AI is most valuable when it supports reflection rather than replacing human relationships. In Echo, AI did not become the centre of the experience—it became the catalyst for helping young people imagine meaningful futures and recognise their own capacity to contribute.
Project
