2025
Sustainability strategy for long-term unemployment
Client: Knowit & Haninge municipality
Team: Alexandra Garbett, Anna Calzolaio, Marina Van Den Worm, Philip Andersen
Designed while studying at Hyper Island
Challenge
Despite numerous government programmes, individuals facing long-term unemployment in Sweden often encounter fragmented services and limited access to relevant information. Agencies operate in isolation, and existing digital tools fall short in providing user-friendly, empowering experiences.
Goal
Designing systemic, digital, and human-centred interventions for employment equity in Haninge municipality
Approach
We began by mapping the broader employment ecosystem of Haninge municipality, working closely with stakeholders from municipal services, national agencies, and the private sector. Workshops were held to co-create a shared understanding of the problem space. In-depth interviews with long-term unemployed individuals revealed feelings of disconnection, confusion, and a deep need for trust and clarity. These insights shaped our approach to concept development, which was supported by frameworks such as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the FSSD's Social Sustainability Principles. Each idea was evaluated not only for user impact but also for systemic feasibility.
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My role
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Responsible for client communication
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Workshop creation & facilitation
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System mapping & stakeholder analysis
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Design research (interviews, workshops)
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Ideation & strategic concept development
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Visual communication & presentation design
Workshop
During a workshop with Haninge municipality, where we mapped stakeholder roles and user journeys, a key insight emerged: the labor market system is highly fragmented. Public institutions, NGOs, and private actors all play vital roles but lack coordination which results in up to 20 confusing touchpoints for users. This complexity causes delays, weak accountability, and a demotivating experience for job seekers as well as other stakeholders.
Interviews
Interviews with stakeholders and users revealed that emotional resilience, confidence, and a sense of progress were as crucial as job matching. Long-term unemployed individuals expressed feelings of exhaustion and disconnection, worsened by bureaucratic hurdles and unclear communication. Additionally, social workers and psychiatric professionals highlighted the need for quicker reintegration and more holistic, person-centred systems. These insights shaped the final solutions so that each intervention addressed both the structural inefficiencies and the human experience - ensuring the strategy could improve outcomes systemically and personally.
SWOT analysis of stakeholders
We conducted a two-sided SWOT analysis and looked at both stakeholders and unemployed individuals. The labor market system benefits from strong expertise, networks, and infrastructure, but struggles with bureaucracy, monopolies, and poor communication. Individuals face barriers like low education, caregiving duties, and mental health issues. Opportunities include digital job matching, better retention support, and financial aid. Threats involve political instability, skill gaps, and hiring bias.
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Ten types of innovation
To achieve the project's vision, we realised that making changes to the internal stakeholder structure was essential. This would enable the development of better offerings for individuals, ultimately improving their experience and engagement in society, and more importantly in the job market. We used the top ten innovations to define the internal and external areas of the organisation we need to focus on.
Solutions
The final outcome included a set of five strategic interventions:
1. Data Transparency & Open Data Platform
A public portal offering real-time job market data to improve transparency, trust, and coordination among stakeholders.
2. New Employment ID
A digital ID linking job seekers’ work history, skills, and status - streamlining verification and reducing bureaucracy.
3. Emotional Intelligence Program
Free, flexible training to build confidence, communication, and stress management skills for job seekers.
4. Interests & Demands Program
Paid, community-based work in municipal spaces to boost self-esteem, skills, and social inclusion.
5. Gamification of Job-Seeking
A digital platform using gamification to motivate job seekers, especially youth, through rewards and peer support.
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Sustainability assessment
To support evaluation and alignment with long-term impact goals, we developed a Risk-to-Opportunity Matrix. This allows each intervention to be assessed in terms of how it address key systemic challenges and contributes to relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Social Sustainability Principles of FSSD.
Strategic recommendations
In addition, we delivered an action plan for implementation, outlining concrete steps for piloting and scaling the concepts, as well as a Business Model Canvas and supporting considerations to help Knowit explore how the proposed solutions could create both social value and organisational sustainability. Together, these deliverables formed a cohesive and actionable roadmap for digital transformation in the public employment space.
Image sources:
1. © 2022 by Surface, 2. © 2021 by Surface, 3. © 2025 by Emma Thorman, 4. © 2025 by Emma Thorman, 5. © 2025 by Emma Thorman 6. © 2025 by Emma Thorman 7. © 2025 by Emma Thorman 8. © 2021 by Redmind Studio 9. © 2025 by Emma Thorman 10. © 2025 by Philip Toft Andersen