MAJOR DESIGN PROJECT REPORT
IN THEIR SHOES:
CHRONICLES OF THE DESIGNED EMPATHIC RESPONSE
Project Brief
Setting the Grounds for Research
The study is anchored to DDM002 (Sustainable Design Principles, Practices and Perspectives). It partially charted the shared practices between vernacular and sustainable design. Partially, for there is a multitude of strains present, although mutually co-existing the study eventually focused on one strand, participatory approaches. The results were divided into three major headings: ways of engagement, systems of collaboration and scalar thinking. These three headings rendered form and structure to the over all study results and summarily identified them into distinct categories of a whole. Based primarily on desk research, special articles, a few books and short passages in a picking of major sustainable design literature the results were synthesized by using triangulated inferences. The slight drawback, relating more to the research methods than results, is that the output is clearly very sensory and yet the process by which they were discovered was lacking in the experiential and experimentation. For this reason, this has been one of the main cornerstones of this major design project, to formulate a fully sensory, experimental and most importantly, practical presentation of the DDM002 research findings.
As a practical output, it followed an outline of procedures that has been drafted together with various stakeholders and partners. This periodical and cumulative dialogue was crucial to the study, as “participatory” is at the heart and soul of the research, its main driving force. In an attempt for procedural transparency the main output was structured to show the reader the sequential stages of the project with a highlight on the the ways partners and stakeholders had been engaged.
Setting the Tone of the Research
The study can be fully divided between the sensorial and the experiential or in between, the distinction between the two can be striking as well as blurry. It’s within and in between this very definitive realms that the entire research can be navigated. This rendered a flexible guideline for organisation; from the right methodologies to the concept for the design output. It has been the overall guiding principle.
Sensorial - Not only as a tone but as an overall study aim, the research has been conducted following the intricacies of the felt world, physical or otherwise. Various media has been introduced mostly focusing on the visual being the easiest and most effective platform. Articles were also written to illuminate further the attempt of what had been captured visually. As an aid to the emotions, the written word has been coined to succinctly make manifest abstractions, what photos may sometimes be hard at expressing.
Experiential - The senses and the experience are always synchronized. However, not to be treated as conjoined, experiential in this study was embedded more on the application stage of the project output. The encouragement to try the suggestions compiled by the project study is a good example of this. Moreover, it’s also the invitation to participate in the development of the design output and taking it further, to compel the passionate readers to take a similar design journey and contribute to the collective knowledge.
Research Methodologies
The items identified under the three main categories of the DDM002 results (ways of engagement, systems of collaboration and scalar thinking) was meant to be given a “face”, a story and at the same time see how they are implemented, or if they are effective at heightening the level of participation altogether. These methods had delivered relevant information - appealing both to the senses and the experience.
Key Informant Interviews (KII) - hearing people’s stories added the best value to this study. At some point these interviews appeared to be more apt to be referred to as “testimonials”, after all, the ideas and concepts they describe reinforce each other. Surprising how ideas coexist in between fields, no matter how remotely connected these fields are- good ideas travel and endure. Videotaped interviews capture their experiences, although not entirely, in a form where more people can benefit from the wisdom of their habits as experts.
Photo Documentation- Field work, just by its very name is defined by the surroundings, the physical context, or simply the “field”. It was necessitated that the environment, or to be more precise, the landscapes be documented as well, it being the other half of the information. Interviews and surveys are fully contextualised once they are presented with photos of the, rightfully so.
Desk Research - Local (Philippine) publications on vernacular design added up to the review of related literature complied for DDM002.
Focused Group Discussion (FGD) - The FGD was conducted right at the start of the data gathering. Together with several project managers representing different groups within the non-profit sector we went through the findings in DDM002 to either trim down or add up to the identified participatory approaches. The results, the group agreed, are just recommendations as the field work and immersion may generate more input than the FGD. Steps on how to transform the data into a useful and practical form were initialised through SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Finally the discussion turned into a networking session with all the participants contributing their resources as well as contacts who can aid the completion and implementation of the project.
These methods, for their inherent reliability has been used the whole time. However, it must be mentioned that a significant part of the project were informed by unplanned events, almost serendipitous, from dinner discussions, gallery and museum visits to random conversations proving how methodologies need not be rigid, least risk missing otherwise essential information. For transcriptions, videos and a lengthier discussion please refer to the appendix blog site: http://ddm003.blogspot.com
Process
While the project started out as an outflow of a previous study, much has been learnt from the field work that was conducted in the Philippines. In retrospect much of the data gathering relied heavily on experimentation. Of decisions changed every time a significant development has been reached. In the course of finding the best set of participatory approaches borne out of the vernacular design practice what it generated instead is another position in the dialogue, the importance of an enhanced empathetic ability (receptivity) of designers or program implementers as the first crucial step in ensuring a truly participatory form of design. This development is described at length in the appendix (see: http://ddm003.blogspot.com/2010/09/phase-i-research-was-commenced-at-start.html ).
It was necessitated to formulate a second phase, just to signify a slight change of thesis directions. With the realisation that inculcating empathy in designers is a more immediate topic for development the orginal aim had to be reconfigured. What transpired from the retrofitting was somehow, a conglomeration of the generated thesis directions. The focus for the compilation of participatory approaches changed to a compilation and investigation of the underlined participatory approaches to inculcate, enhance and develop empathy in designers/program implementers. Of the items discussed in DDM002, four was chosen (through FGD and desk research triangulation) as the strongest and has most potential: immersion, story telling, role play and shadowing.
The literature foundations started in DDM002 was further reinforced by another set of desk research to cover a more robust thesis direction. The available information on empathy in design is comparatively more extensive than those of vernacular or participatory design, adding strength to the existing references.
Project Output
The main project output is essentially along the lines of public service design. Its primary purpose is to inform/educate and build capacities. The blog site is only the initial step in what is envisioned to be a co-designed repository, training, research and development site on the “empathic response” to truly participatory approaches. “Everything designed goes on designing” (Fry, 2009: 56) can never be more applicable than now. The current network of beneficiaries include virtually all designers who recognise the importance of empathy in creating and attaining an ideal participatory level in designing, program managers, non-profit as well as government groups, marketing specialists, virtually anyone who is interested in the subject.
Limitations/Challenges
The first barrier that has been identified was that the field research is based solely in the Philippines. So it can be instantly deduced that the output (as well as the journey details) are only applicable to the country, or places with similar characteristics for example, developing countries. Taking this into consideration, a section of the output was based on literature gathered from authors writing for the developed country settings to balance the mix of voices and opinions. Another limitation is the lack of financial resources to up a fully functional flash website that realises the main aim of the project. This vision of the website has been temporarily transformed into a blog site which contains (in high fidelity) the sections, parts and functions of the website once it is upped.
Future Directions
In the long run, the blog site will need to have a more permanent and comprehensive venue where it can sustain its projected growth. A website that successfully integrates a feedback system (for comments, suggestions and forum discussions of site visitors), online library of published material (on “empathic response”, vernacular, sustainable and participatory designs), interactive training programs on program facilitation and continuing the functions now seen in the blog site.
Reflections
Discovering the Design Dimension
What makes this research a design research? A person looking outside the design discipline would have easily identified the project undertaking as any social science research, and all things considered they are somehow right. As the researcher it got me thinking, “Where does the design dimension exist?” Well its not found in the problem. Just like what has now been extensively discussed by design scholars and luminaries like Tim Brown (design thinking) any problem is a design problem. It is in the way we deal with the problem that the design dimension is not only seen, but deeply felt. And this research has aided me a lot in redefining my idea of design. Of how it can no longer be isolated within a discipline, a field or a marketing tool. Of the need to restructure our idea of it starting with using design skills in addressing non-traditional design briefs. After completing the blog site, it dawned on me that three of my project outputs for the DDM series is embedded in the solution set, a work of someone who has greatly valued the power of systems thinking. This also made me rethink my idea that I have been aimlessly floating around the designing for sustainability dialogue space, never finding a comfortable space to park in. Certain ideas, concepts in DfS can be entirely disparate but once we convince ourselves that the nature of ideas creation and development follows a cyclic pattern then it would be not be as hard to think that what we design now at point A will, at a specific time in the future, be at point Z; it just really needs time and people thinking about it to uncover the linking points in between.
Conclusion
This research has proven the power of design in formulating practical, easy and universal means in addressing issues of social, environmental and sustainable nature. After a random survey conducted to elicit general reactions from a sample set of people from different backgrounds within the 20-35 age the following comments emerged: “clear”, “user-friendly”, “well-considered exercises”, “educational”, “good design”. And a feedback from the FGD participants generated the following remarks: “has potential”, “very useful”, “well designed but not intimidating” and “helpful”. Inferring, the goal of the research was achieved. By organising the information from the previous study, field notes by simply weaving together stories of the various personalities that has in some way or another informed this study we were able to create a handiwork that exemplifies the true value of design thinking “to translate observations into insights, and insights into products and services that will improve lives” (Brown, 2009: 49).
REFERENCES
Brown, T. (2009) Change by Design. New York : Harper Business
Fry, T. (2009) Design Futuring: sustainability, ethics and new practice. New York : Berg
Kouprie, M. and Visser, F. S. (2009) A framework for empathy in design: stepping into and out of user’s life. [Online] Available from:
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a910984880&fulltext=713240928
