Communication Design for Welfare, the Challenge of Preserving Human Interactions in Remote Participation. Rethinking and Redefining Collaborative Activities for a Virtual Environment

The unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 emergency has challenged traditional in-person interaction, forcing researchers to rethink participatory experiences, designing new tools, and readjusting the existing ones in order to adapt them to a virtual environment. This paper delves into tools and methods of remote inclusion and participation to foster the exchange of opinions among people and the construction of a shared imagery that represents the viewpoints of the community involved. In particular, it examines the dynamics implemented within the European initiative UIA-Urban Innovative Actions for the project WISH MI-Wellbeing Integrated System of Milan that deals specifically with actions to contrast juvenile poverty in Milan, and it involves the DCXW research group (Communication Design for Welfare) of the Politecnico di Milano Design Department and the Municipality of Milan as the lead partner. Through the case study, a series of tools and communication design techniques for remote participation are presented, highlighting the approaches taken to preserve humanity and closeness in online interactions, and especially emphasizing the new opportunities that the virtual environment can offer.