HELPING HEART

Short List
TitleHELPING HEART
BrandABN AMRO
Product/ServiceBANKING SERVICES
Category A04. Early Stage Technology
Entrant N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 2 MEDIAMONKS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 3 MADE FOR DIGITAL Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company HET STOELENPROJECT Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
Carsten van Berkel N=5 creative
Stefan Leendertse N=5 creative
Olaf van der Geld N=5 creative
Jan Jesse Bakker N=5 interactive designer
Silvia van Hooft N=5 strategy director
Barbara Leusink N=5 Producer
Jasper Baartmans N=5 innovation director
Merel Hoogendorp N=5 account director
Jordy van den Boom N=5 ux
Tessel Bruhl - modelmaker
Kristjan Knigge - director
MediaMonks
Made for Digital

The Campaign

To prove we could use financial technology to help people in need, we built a prototype of a winter coat with an integrated device that allows people to donate a euro by simply tapping their card on it. The only way to redeem these donations is through one of the official homeless shelters. The money never goes to the recipient as cash, but is always redeemed in kind: a place to sleep, a shower or food. The recipient can also choose to spend it on self-improvement in the form of vocational training courses, or they can even use it to build up savings.

Creative Execution

What makes the Helping Heart programme unique is that it is a completely novel use of pre-existing technical solutions. The prototype patch consists of a few tools, hardware and software. The hardware is limited to a mobile phone and a secured payment terminal that supports contactless payments and this is all housed in a custom-designed and 3D-printed housing. Regarding software, we developed a custom application that connects with the payment terminal and manages the payment process. By using the phone’s screen, we show the user what’s happening every step of the way and communicate the process visually and in text on screen. By bringing these components together in a super simple user experience with a clear interface we are able to communicate everything without the need for a tutorial. Following the successful initial pilot in Amsterdam and Rotterdam in December 2016 we are now collaborating with the Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP) and Five Degrees to run a more extensive pilot in London in early 2018.

Ultimately, we want Helping Heart to: - Provide a way for people to give directly to a homeless person on the street, that is safe and secure for everyone. - Create a connection between those wearing the Helping Heart jacket, and other members of the public. - Find a way, through the design of this programme, to empower users to get back on their feet and help others affected by homelessness. We are currently collaborating closely with people personally affected by homeless and with support organisations in the homelessness sector in the UK to ensure this innovation can be safely and appropriately piloted in London in early 2018. Our aim is to work towards a sustainable product suitable for mass production that will be available internationally by the end of 2018.

As the The Independent put it “This could revolutionise how you give money to the homeless”. Helping Heart combines the ease of contactless payment technology with social engagement. It enables members of the public to donate to homeless individuals by simply tapping their card or phone. The technology currently takes the form of a patch on a jacket for homeless people to wear -which the press have dubbed the ‘PIN jacket’. Helping Heart simplifies the donation process at a number of crucial points, in a safe and secure way, whilst also forging a connection between the jacket-wearer and the donating