A framework for teaching Design for Social Impact

Figure 12:  Finalizing the product form

In order to promote creativity amongst the children and introduce the notion of ownership, the outside of the product will be left blank for children to personalize it. The student will be able to recognize it when it comes back home, and encourage them to invest the collected money into their own education.

THE SOCIAL DESIGN FRAMEWORK – A PROPOSAL

To sum up the Framework [Figure 13], we come to understand that there are 4 broad areas that define this framework. They are the research, the Problem Identification, System/Product Harmonization and Finalization. In the diagram below we explain the key outcomes of each of these phase.

By starting at a more detailed look at society and contexts and then getting a deep understanding of the problems at hand, while one experiences it, we are able to train oneself to work and teach in the complex world of Social Design.

FUTURE WORK

The proposed social design framework will be tested out with other social design problems in the next few months and also in classroom teaching teaching, across design and business schools. We are keen on seeing the results of this and refining it further. We also aim bring back the Edu-Piggybank project into the “design lab” for updates depending on the result of the first pilot. We will then extend it to other schools and communities if the pilot is successful, which will go along with widely promote the project (videos, posters). It is hoped that the system will adapt the product well.

We will also be keen on exploring the short term and long term impact that this product would have. The role of the Social Designer is not just to finish the product, but also to take interest in its lifecycle, and the impact it is creating.

CONCLUSION

The thing with Social Design is that it is challenging with repeated troughs of frustration. Designers who have an interest in this field will be faced with situations that they have never encountered before. It is aimed that with the above outlined social design framework, their experience of working with a project, would be more cheerful, and enjoyable. It should motivate more designers to join the force towards making the world a better place. In the words of Hartmut Esslinger; founder of Frog Design, “Design alone cannot change the world, but designers can”. We are looking out for those designers.

Figure 13 : The Scoial Design Framework

REFERENCES

1. Baxter Hugh, System and Life-world in Haberman’s “Theory of Communicative Action”, Theory and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Jan., 1987), pp. 39-86

2. Buchanan Richard, Wicked Problems in Design Thinking, Design Issues Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1992), pp. 5-21.

3. Balachandar G, NIC’s Rs 500 crore fund for companies serving poor, innovation clusters, http://bit.ly/TcERhl, November 4, 2012.

4. Cutler Terry, Designing Solutions to Wicked Problems; A Manifesto for Transdisciplinary Research and Design, Design Research Institute, Proceedings from the Designing Solutions to Wicked Problems symposium held on the 9th and 10th November 2009, the Melbourne Town Hall

5. Camillus C John, Strategy as a wicked problem, Harvard Business Review, May 2008.

6. Fuad-Luke Alastair, Dealing with Wicked Problems, in book Design Activism: Beautiful strangeness for a sustainable world, pg 142, ISBN 978-1-84407-645-1 , Earthscan Publications Ltd.

7. Fuad-Luke Alastair, Social Design, in book Design Activism: Beautiful strangeness for a sustainable world, pg 152-153-154, ISBN 978-1-84407-645-1 , Earthscan Publications Ltd.

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