From An Experience Design Perspective:How To Build An Enabling Community

This study is based on my observation of the residential communities in China.Last generation of Chinese community designers focused their design generally in physical dimensions,but the community atmosphere would not advance merely with the improvement of community infrastructures.At present,urban community market segments divided by properties,cultures and aesthetics,are coming into shape in China,while the new generation of community designers is exploring better designs to enhance community experience.More and more community designers promote community participation by organizing community activities that meet the growth needs of the residents,such as small-scale lectures,concerts,sports,etc..In social work,a social worker who helps with the self-construction of the disadvantaged community is called an enabler;likewise,this paper names a community which provides services to support the residents' personal growth and development as an enabling community.This paper researches on the experience in the enabling community,and analyze the planning methods of the enabling community.Based on case studies and field researches,this paper summarizes the five characteristics of the enabling community: spontaneous participation,heuristic content,unified aesthetics,scarcity-driven motive,and branding operation.This paper attributes the motivation of the enable community participation to the sense of belonging and self-shaping and outlines the user experience process to enrich the macro-understanding of the enable community.Based on the survey data,this study puts forward a CSI model of the enabling community,which includes three aspects: culture building,mechanism regulation and individual inspiration,as well as the methods and principles of the enabling community design.Malan-Lake anti-desertification project is a successful application of this study.MalanLake,a community suffered from the devastating effects of extreme weather and the impact of financial difficulties,combatted desertification by growing 20 square kilometer of forest around the community.Based on my preliminary research,I proposed the concept of Enabling Community,repositioned the Malan-Lake community as a social enterprise,and conducted my design analysis and practice from cultural,mechanism and individual perspectives.At present,Malan-Lake is gradually achieving financial balance by exporting desert agricultural products.Enabling community development framework provides a new perspective for community planning research.It breaks through the traditional material-centered design system and explores new community planning methods in accordance with China's society,emphasizing the analysis of individual needs.