Using design to stop crime

The UK’s leading technology designers met with the Home Secretary this week to discuss ways of using design to protect teenagers from crime – particularly the theft of mobile phones and MP3 players.

The event, hosted by the Design Council, represented the first time that senior designers from leading technology firms have joined with young people, youth workers, branding experts and police to develop MP3 players and mobile phones specifically designed to protect young people from becoming victims of crime.

Their aim is to create a clear business opportunity for manufacturers to develop a generation of crime-safe gadgets.

Addressing a thorny problem

Design Council Chief Executive David Kester said, 'Armed with original research including observations and ideas from young people, we are bringing together manufacturers and technologists with designers and other experts. 

'Our objective is simple – to look at the thorny problem of hot product theft through the design lens and come up with some new ideas. 

'After all that is what design does – it taps our creativity in order to help solve problems.'

Design Council researchers surveyed 1,000 11-15 year-olds about their experiences of hot product crime. The survey revealed that:

* One in four young people in England have had a hot product snatched whilst almost one in three were pick-pocketed in the last three years
* 97% of young people carry a gadget with them at some point. 85% frequently carry a mobile and 35% an MP3 player
* One in three of victims were listening to music on headphones, talking or texting on a phone or playing on a games console when their item was stolen
* 42% of 11 to 16-year-olds estimate their products to be worth over £200, whilst two thirds estimate the value of their personal electronic products to be over £100
* Almost two thirds are concerned about the items being stolen.