This was a project for my Disruptive Design for Makeshift Cities class. Our cohort explored current informal economies in New York City and used design methodologies to understand needs and develop prototypes.
My team explored AirBnB, an online marketplace for housing. We considered it informal because in NYS it is illegal to sublet an apartment for less than 30 days and NYS Attorney General has reproached the AirBnB hosts for not paying occupancy tax.
After working on a class assignment where we had to design an efficient hurricane relief system for food, water, clothes and medicine distribution, our team decided to use AirBnB's system for disaster relief preparedness. We researched the already existing AirBnB Disaster Response program and designed a "trust-building" element where hosts could view video profiles of potential guests.
