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United Way · Make the Month

Enter the shoes of a Canadian living in poverty

Make the Month is an interactive storytelling experience that puts the user in the shoes of a Canadian living in poverty. We worked with United Way of Calgary and Area to create this digital tool to help build empathy and understanding for the realities faced by those struggling to make ends meet.

Two overlapping illustrated scenario cards, one yellow reading 'You have an incoming call from an unknown phone number' and one pink about receiving government support.
Grayscale hand-drawn illustration of four characters standing in a row: an elderly woman with a cane, two women, and a bearded man in a cap.

The experience takes the user through a full month in the life of someone living in poverty. They must make day-to-day decisions on how to allocate limited income while facing challenges around food insecurity, housing instability, health issues, family obligations and more. Each choice has an impact on their finances, relationships and overall wellbeing.

Our goal with Make the Month was to deepen people's understanding of poverty by giving them a small glimpse into the difficult circumstances and decisions faced by far too many in our communities. United Way provided insights based on research and lived experiences to ensure an authentic, impactful experience.

Mobile app screen titled 'Make the Month as Ashley,' showing an illustrated woman on a red card over a faint map, with a persona description below.
Illustrated summary screen titled 'Let's take a look how you did in Ashley's shoes,' with a pink card reading '$329 left at the end of the month' beside a dove-and-money drawing, and a yellow card reading 'You ended the month with poor mental health' beside a glum cat.
Set of eight hand-drawn grayscale spot illustrations including a dove, sad letter, mailbox, pet food, a bill and calculator, a globe with books, a gift, and a calendar.
Two stacked black-and-white sketch illustrations, one of stationery, scissors, and a pen above text 'Learn more about how United Way is making an impact in your area,' and one of a heart speech bubble and thumbs-up.

Make the Month aims to equip users with knowledge and empathy that inspires them to take action in their communities to tackle poverty. The tool has been customized for nine different regions across Canada to reflect the local realities. It is available for individuals to explore online as well as for facilitated group sessions in workplaces and other settings.

Details

Client
United Way
Year
2023
Work
Interaction design, Platforms and applications, Interface design, Multilingual and multi-region systems

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