서비스디자인 방법론을 통한 자립준비청년 지원 서비스 컨셉 및 기능 제안

Background: In South Korea, approximately 2,000 youths transition from state care to independent living each year, facing significant challenges. Compared to their peers, these “self-reliance preparation youths” have lower rates of university enrollment, higher unemployment, and lower life satisfaction. While the term “self-reliance preparation youth” has recently garnered more attention, many still remain in the welfare blind spot. Complicated support procedures, lengthy processing times, and psychological barriers prevent many from accessing the aid they need, resulting in numerous issues. Methods: This study applied the ‘Double Diamond design process’, a human-centered service design methodology. To Discover the problem, surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with self-reliance preparation youths and relevant stakeholders to gather their opinions. To Define the problem, the collected data was categorized using an affinity diagram, and insights were derived. Two personas were created, and service interaction scenarios were developed to generate service concepts and ideas in the Develop phase. In the Deliver phase, detailed service features required to achieve the primary objectives were proposed in the form of prototypes, aligned with the scalability of the service. Results: The study revealed that the experiences of self-reliance preparation youths involve multiple stakeholders, including self-reliance support agencies, their staff, and various support providers. Additionally, it became clear that each youth faces a wide range of unique challenges and backgrounds. The proposed service functions were categorized into four key areas: support, community, and “My Nest.” The support category encompasses information on various self-reliance assistance programs and features for applying and submitting feedback on support. The community section provides a platform for youths to ask questions and interact, fostering a sense of shared community. “My Nest” allows users to systematically manage and check their own self-reliance process so that the process can be a more leading and meaningful experience. Conclusion: Given the diverse social conditions faced by self-reliance preparation youths in contemporary South Korea, addressing the welfare blind spots of this group is expected to alleviate many of their challenges. Moreover, solutions will require intervention on a societal level. It is hoped that the findings of this study will serve as foundational data for the development of services aimed at supporting self-reliance preparation youths in the future.