Low Desire Trip

RC
Feb 1, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Dec 4, 2023

This Service experience activity can help people escape from the peer-pressure society and decrease their desire to let them get relief about their situation and the anxious society.

Starting Point & Research

In today's society, an increasing number of young people feel frustrated with their lives. They find it difficult to cope with the pressures of working, purchasing cars and houses, as well as getting married. Additionally, many young individuals lack confidence in their work as they believe their peers are far too talented. In response to this social climate, a group of young people has coined the term "LYING FLAT," which means choosing to do nothing. By embracing the concept of "lying flat," these individuals are expressing their decision to relinquish the aforementioned societal pressures and lead a more simplistic lifestyle.

To investigate the phenomenon of "lying flat," I conducted research on the current social situation in China.

In 2021, the popular social media platform Weibo, through its "Cover News" account, launched a questionnaire on the topic, which received 169,000 responses. Of the respondents, 39.6% strongly supported the concept of "lying flat," while only 6.5% disagreed with it. Additionally, an unofficial work schedule known as "996," requiring employees to work from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, is widely used in many internet companies. However, former CCTV host Bai Yansong criticized the trend, stating that "lying flat" only reveals the indolence of young people, further provoking the youth. These events have resulted in an increasing number of individuals feeling dissatisfied with the demands of hard work and seeking a simpler lifestyle through "lying flat."

The concept of a "low desire society" originated in Japan and other Eastern Asian countries such as South Korea. Both Japan and South Korea have been characterized as "low desire societies," and this report presents a desk research on the current situation in these two countries.

(see the right side of the images)

Persona

Through the research, I design three types of characters of different ages and give them personas to analyze the phenomenon of lying flat. In the persona, Mr. L is an old-school person and opposes "Lying flat". While Mr. Q and Miss. G is the opposite because of the burden of work and study.

In conclusion, the concept of "lying flat" or, in other words, "low desire," is a contemporary and counter-cultural phenomenon. Its supporters are mainly from the Gen-Z and millennial age groups, while its objectors are generally middle-aged individuals over the age of 50. "Low desire" supporters rebel against societal constraints like real estate, fame, property, and family, among others. However, there are also conditions for "low desire." Despite the desire to "lying flat," it is difficult to break social rules due to a lack of sufficient funds. Moreover, the Japanese "Hikikomori," Korean "N-po Generation," and Chinese "lying flat" are all reflections of the need to prioritize and care for the mental well-being of individuals in modern society. These movements emphasize the importance of relaxation and relief from the pressures of everyday work and tasks, encouraging individuals to embrace a low-desire mindset.

IDEA and development

I decided to make a service design project in a user-experience way to let people feel the concept of "low desire". To develop it well, I expended multiple different ideas and sketches:

With the development of my thinking process, eventually, I decided to design a space and activity to serve people who want to get a low-desire way of life. In this space, it included three activities:

Eat -- People will enjoy the desserts in a huge GINGLE HOUSE. Eat more desserts, and gain more awards.
Game -- People will seek the treasure in a house. More treasure, more awards.
Sport -- People join the sports match to win awards.

Based on this idea, I develop the space activity process in detail:

To start the trip, customers need to reserve the time first so that they can enter the house. When they enter the gate, they will get the task (find the losing card) and face the choice: 1. accept the task. 2. give up the task.

If the customers get the task, they will get the hint from the staff and then start to compete with others in different games. When they win the game, they will get a gift -- a cup of tea. If customers give up the task, they can stay at the dessert park and play and get the same gift as the players.

The reason why the gifts are the same is: To show a point of view which is the opposite of excessive competition. We need to do the appropriate game and relax.

Prototype

With this idea, I design a reservation pop-up shop that includes these activities:

The house has 2 floors and 3 parts: Entrance, Competition zone, and Dessert park.