C4D Apps

Coquitlam, 2016

Over the last week I've become aware of a few different apps that have emerged or been adapted for potential use in communications for development (c4d) strategies. Some, like Kialo, have developed as a response to "fake news" on social media, and offer a more structured form of debate and dialogue. Others, like Participedia, are repositories of  community development models, research, and communications research. In some ways, it illuminates the gap that may exist in c4d--a logic model for affecting social change through communications. Prescient tools, like Blockchain for Social Impact, hold promise for more transparency in social development interactions, but have no methodology for practical application yet. 

Affinity Bridge, a Vancouver-based creative agency, has worked closely with the Vancouver Foundation on their Fostering Change campaign. The goal of Fostering Change was to improve youth homelessness by improving financial and legal support to youth, allowing them longer to secure employment, adult relationships, and finish their education. The campaign used a participatory approach, and several c4d activities including petitions, surveys, political interference, performance, and youth advisory teams all supported by Affinity Bridge. Was this a campaign using a specific c4d design and strategy? I'm not sure, and I believe the campaign design was more iterative than the final report suggests. But maybe that's the point: an effective c4d strategy has to have the right balance of strategy and iteration.