SME-Comply: Design as a Service, Enabling SME to Prevent Money-Laundering

BACKGROUND: SME comprises 97% of the Australian economy and provide 49% of employment (ABS 2001) and attractive targets for money laundering. AUSTRAC aims to protect businesses from organized crime by complying with their Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006. However, their one-size-fits-all policy means that SMEs are unable to afford compliance. Studies of prepaid card as money-laundering tools (Choo 2008) and strategies to prevent exploitations (Rao et al, 2008) suggest that enforcement will only increase SME avoidance.SIGNIFICANCE: The Victorian Minister for Industry Innovation and Regional Development launched the DRI Design Challenge in 2008 as a competition that focused on urgent community issues. Our exhibit was among a shortlist of five finalists judged by preeminent panel, including Dr Gien, Chair for the prestigious Good Design Awards Australia. It illustrated a design process with user-centred scenarios to engage the public on ways to counter financial and liquid resource criminals.CONTRIBUTION: Transdisciplinary collaboration between researchers in law, computer science, business and design explored how to help small Australian businesses from falling victim to crime. The approach proposed involving key stakeholders in a design process to raise awareness and co-create solutions to tackle the issue. The contribution is both methodological and applied, to develop AUSTRAC and SME's capacity to address the complex issue collectively. Design Against Crime is a nascent area of interest in design, led by notable researchers at the University of the Arts London. Our work contributes to this emerging area of inquiry and enables its development in Australia.