From idea to the finishing line
The first ever brainstorming meeting, of what was to become VINCE, was on the March 5th, 2021. I met with Sirppa Kinos, from Turku UAS, and we have been taking this journey together from the first ideas of discussing a possible project to the now soon-to-be finished app.
A platform for empowering
It was in the midst of the Covid-pandemic, and we were all working online. Our discussions centred around the new “normal” and the online presence being a hinder for some groups in society, migrants being one of them. We wanted a digital “home” for migrants, a platform for meeting and learning, for empowering migrants in their new home countries, as well as promoting digital skills. I remember we both agreed it needed to be a simple digital arena that would enable activity, participation and interaction.
The development of the VINCE application is extraordinary. We have developed something that has been missing and there is a clear demand for. I see it as a complement to all the programs and systems that are already in place with the integration process, and most importantly, it is empowering migrants with a tool for their own development. AI is a big enabler of the application, but it was not the starting point, and it jumped onboard as a tool to make VINCE happen.
We wanted a digital “home” for migrants, a platform for meeting and learning, for empowering migrants in their new home countries.
Overwhelming reception
It is amazing to see how well received the app is; whomever I meet asks when it will be in use: case workers in our municipalities, state agent representatives, and migrants in Sweden (even before they arrive) – there is a real need for the app.
Users at the heart
Although it is great to have demand for the app, the aim of the project was not to develop a ready-to-use app. It was rather to develop a solution with the use of the service design method, where we would involve the end users at every stage of the process and use their feedback to direct the development work. I think we must remember that, specially now when we are so close to the end of the project, and at the finishing line of being able to present VINCE as an app. With that said, I remain hopeful that the aim, of course, should be to launch a well-functioning app for the public to use by the end of the project.
Writer: Annelie Ingmar, County Administrative Board of Östergötland
