Context

Affordable housing is one of the most pressing needs in Edmonton and across Canada. While donors and community members are often quick to support causes like food security — tangible, immediate, and relatable — housing can feel abstract and less urgent. Yet, food insecurity is often a symptom of deeper systemic issues such as the lack of affordable housing.

IslamicFamily, working to launch an affordable housing complex with Civida through its Halal Housing Lab, wanted a way to make the importance of housing both visible and memorable to the wider community.

Challenge

The design question we asked ourselves was:

How might we create an interactive experience that informs community members and supporters about the significance of affordable housing, while also highlighting the essential role of frontline workers?

Our early prototype was based on budget calculations — participants compared a family’s finances before and after accessing affordable housing. While effective at showing financial relief, it was too math-heavy, uninspiring, and not emotionally resonant.

We needed an experience that was:

• Respectful of clients’ lived realities.

• Engaging beyond numbers and slides.

• Memorable enough to stick with people long after the event.

• Hopeful — leaving participants energized, not overwhelmed.

Process

Working with J5 Design Studio, we redesigned the simulation framework over two half-day design sessions.

• Pivot in perspective: Instead of putting participants in the shoes of clients (risking trivialization), we placed them in the role of frontline workers. This preserved dignity for clients and underscored the critical, often invisible, role of staff.

• Game mechanics: We developed a board-and-card-based experience, with steps, “effort tokens,” and scenario cards representing opportunities, setbacks, and difficult choices.

• Scenarios: We co-created scenarios with frontline staff to ground the simulation in plausible, lived realities.

• Wildcard: One group in each session received an “Affordable Housing Wildcard,” allowing their client family to access housing. This divergence created immediate contrast between teams and sparked deeper reflection.

The Simulation

• Participants worked in teams of 4–6.

• Each team supported a family through a series of scenario cards.

• Tokens represented finite staff energy — highlighting how frontline workers manage competing demands.

• At the end, teams compared their progress on the board and shared reflections.

The simulation was first piloted during Ramadan 2024 “Hope & Home” community events, where participants broke fast together and engaged in the activity.

Outcomes

• 94.7% of participants reported increased awareness of the significance of affordable housing.

• 83.3% found the activity more effective than a traditional presentation.

• Average ratings: 9/10 informative, 8.8/10 engaging, 9/10 likelihood to recommend.

• Participants highlighted the reflection stage as particularly powerful.

Reflections

This project taught me the value of embodied learning. By shifting from abstract data to interactive, human-centred storytelling, we created not just understanding, but empathy and energy for action.

It also reinforced how important designing with dignity is, both in deciding who participants “play” as, and in crafting scenarios that are respectful and realistic.