Future's Butterflies

We conducted participatory design workshops at the UNHCR Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan to learn how Syrian youth help others using information and technology. We asked 144 young people to create paper prototypes of visionary devices for helping their community and analyzed the designs for themes using qualitative techniques. The 61 drawings helped provide additional context for the community's challenges, including information problems and limited access to education. Findings also showed that Syrian refugee youth play important roles in helping others. We developed and tested a youth-focused co-design approach and contributed to a greater understanding of the experiences of Syrian refugee youth. As millions of Syrians continue to be displaced, our work may have implications for helping identify the refugees' needs and inform humanitarian response.