Homelessness and the Designer

I finalised my major project and my dissertation today, all of which feels incredibly final at this stage - although I have it on good authority from my housemate (who graduated last year) that I can still change...not that I want to - I'm the kind of person who makes a decision and runs with it. I tend to think that's a good quality, but I'm starting to learn that certain situations just aren't good for that!

I've decided that I'm going to investigate the changing use of public spaces and the effect on design over the last 50 years *working title* for my dissertation, and almost by coincidence my major project is a heated seating arrangement for public spaces - ever felt so cold you could knock on Death's Door, just waiting for a train? And that's just England for you!

The Heated Seating has lots of stuff for me to work out - from energy sources, security, comfort, human factors, all the way through to encouraging people to sit on it, and discouraging tramps from sleeping on it.
In regards for the tramp issue - I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless and there is an excellent blog here, which addresses the issues of "normal" people falling into that life, however as a designer, I know that companies don't feel the same way about it, and thus I have an ethical dilemma.
I support Samaritans and I always try to do charitable things, however I have to accept that the world at large doesn't want tramps sleeping on their luxury heated seating whilst waiting for the 9.02, Kings Cross to Glasgow, and therefore if I want to have my product used I've got to play to the consumer's wants.
This doesn't rule me out from designing in the future for the homeless, in fact it's given me some ideas for my RSA Wellbeing...

And there was me thinking I was going to go to bed* and have a lovely early night

Oh yes and I've given up alcohol and will be tee-total for the next 9 months - I'll let you know how I get on!


*Yes its a Friday, yes it's 10.33pm, but I don't care