Nonprofit Partnership Reflection

Due: Tuesday December 9th
In preparation for our group discussion the day of the final, please write about 1 page reflecting on your nonprofit partnership- considering the following:

What was it like to partner w/ a nonprofit and work with a community/culture new to you?

How did you introduce the idea of doing a design project with them?
What were some of the main challenges in thinking about/ designing for your market?
What tactics did you use to allow the community to become comfortable with you?
Was it more or less difficult designing with others than say from your own designer desk?

+ whatever other insight and thoughts you have.

Thanksgiving Homework

1. Update your blog with recent project information.

To include your presentations, please post them on slideshare.net, and then you can embed the show into your blog.

2. Write a blog article about your Thanksgiving break and dinner.

3. Continue developing and furthering your projects. 

You will present to the class on December 4th with ppt. as preparation for the final. This will be your opportunity to get feedback on both content of your project, what you need to push or change, and presentation style.

Happy Turkey Day!

Email In!

Email Sami all assignments from the first half of this semester in PDF format including: 

9 Page MDG Research Pages

TED Talk Research

Product Precedent

StoryBoard

ThemeBoard

Final Exercise 2 page layout

Due this Thursday

If your file exceeds 10 mb, you can use: www.Yousendit.com 

Design for Local Sustainability- Research

DUE Tuesday November 4th- (Election Day!)

As we continue to lay the foundation for the final project it is important to be very clear and familiar with our partner organizations and research similar projects and approaches. 

For this weekend's homework, please: 

IDENTIFY the problem and mission statement of your organization and post it on your blog. 

RESEARCH 5 other organizations within the US that are doing similar work. In Illustrator create a chart comparing and contrasting the organizations identifying the pros and cons of each organization's approach and impact. - Post this on your blog

PREPARE your interview questions as discussed below and if you are meeting with your organization before next Tuesday, conduct your interview within this time. * see post below. 

Interviews and Mind Maps

Due THURSDAY November 6th

In addition to becoming familiar with your organization through participation, as a designer it is important to do anthropological research to understand the ins and outs of your target market. For this, you will conduct an interview with someone who works within the organization. (If need be, you will have time in class on Tuesday afternoon to go and do this, so please try to schedule something now that fits in your schedule and prepare your interview before hand. If you have a scheduling conflict, please come talk to me.) For tips on conducting interviews, read this article here.  You want to uncover what they experience being a part of the organization-What do they like most, what would they change, what do they find most challenging. Come up with  5-10 questions and ask for about 30-40 minutes of their time. This is your time to practice listening, and ask open ended questions that let them expand- have a conversation. Do not ask yes or no questions.

At this point in time it is essential to collect as much information as possible about your organization, and the issues they are dealing with to best uncover your design opportunity. You must also determine whether your project will focus on the organization itself- i.e. its structure, space, tools and etc, or its benefactors. If you choose to work on a project for a benefactor, conduct an interview with them as well. 

Next week you will start designing so start thinking about what opportunities you want to pursue and do the research needed to move forward. 

Some sample questions include: 

What is your role within the organization?

What does your day look like, and what type of activities or tasks do you do? 

What do you find most challenging in your day and what do you enjoy most? 

How did you get involved in the organization?

Document your interview for your records either via note taking or audio recorder and post to your blog. However, if the person you interviewed shared personal information that they do not want made public, please respect their privacy and be sensitive to this and first ask them if they are comfortable with you sharing this information. 

After your interview, on your own- do a quick mind map (30 minutes) on a large piece of paper- (or you can get creative and make something). In the middle choose one word that sums up the issue your organization is dealing with. From the center, map out some of the main barriers the organization experiences to social impact. Mind you that every nonprofit will tell you that their main barrier is finances. This is typically a very big challenge for every organization, but as designers we must dig deeper to find an overlooked opportunity that can increase the organization's social impact. Scan in or photograph your map and post on your blog. 

Homework- Building a Foundation

Design and the design process is very much about reflection, research, insight, and iteration. It is important to document this process along the way to use as a tool throughout the process. When we are constantly reminded of our foundation, it is easier to move forward and build on it. 

To start building the foundation for your final project, you are going to REFLECT and RESEARCH. 

REFLECT- After our discussions with Tony, write one blog article reflecting on your experiences thus far with your partnering organization. In what way have you been helpful, who have you interacted with, share any particularly interesting conversations or experiences.

RESEARCH- 

In Illustrator- create a map of your organization conveying the organizational structure. Who runs the organization (are they a one man team or a franchise) what services do they offer, and who do they offer them to? Also include a map of where the organization is located within Providence.

To find this information go to the website's staff page and programs page. Here you will find who leads the team, what are their titles, what programs they provide, and to who they provide them. In your map, you want to give a system overview. This is a simplified version of the organizational structure, and can be conveyed graphically with the only words being labels. 

Feel free to use ProvidencePlan as a resource.

Come in class prepared to share your findings and post both assignments on your blog. 

D4D- FINAL Deliverables

Tuesday, October 21st = final presentation for the Design for Development exercises. 

Each student will have 20-30 minutes for their critique including a 10-15 minute Power Point presentation and 10-15 minutes of feedback. 

In your Power Point Presentation, it is suggested you  include the following information, not in this particular order: 

-Brief introduction to your chosen country and region

-Who your target market is (story board)

-What specific design opportunity you are targeting- clearly stating your "Problem Statement."

- Research and references to back up the context of your project.  

-Mission Statement

-Your Process:

Inspirational Art Piece (if applicable)

Theme board (if applicable)

Mind Map (if applicable)

Design Sketches/Prototypes/Sketch Models

-Final Design 

If it's a product- how does it fit into a larger system and map this out with a system overview.

If it's a system- represent the entirety while also focusing in on a particular component with more refined detail. 

-What the project might look like in the future, who are your potential partners and etc. 

--

You determine the order of these deliverable. The important thing is to tell the story of your project, and include only relevant information that conveys your point- from the larger system to the micro scale, lead us through your thinking, your research to backup your claims, and your final conclusions. 

You region- what the problem is- how you plan to address the problem - and what your proposed solution is. 

Design with a Mission

Due Tuesday October 14th

1. Clearly define and write the problem statement of your design project. (2-4 sentences)

2. Clearly define and write the mission statement of your design project. (2-4 sentences)

3. Research and ask questions! 

Try to find an equivocal circumstance of your problem statement here in RI and talk to people associated with this issue. For example, if you are doing a medical device-go to the hospital, if you are looking at individuals with HIV- go talk to a nonprofit who works with HIV + patients, if you are looking at education- go talk to teachers. Document your research in a way that is helpful for you and enables you to share your findings. (Think video, photographs, recorder, notes, sketches)

4. Continue sketching your project ideas, iterate, and refine.

5. Post all assignments onto your blog. 

D4D-Sketches

Due Thursday October 9th.

After you have chosen your specific design opportunity, bring in sketches of product/service iterations to share with the class on Thursday morning. It's important at this phase to iterate rapidly. You do not yet need refined sketches, but rather a variety of concepts which you will then tailor down.  Feel free to make some sketch models as well if this helps you with your process. 

Come prepared to ask questions to our guest speakers in the afternoon: Timothy Prestoro and Emily Pilloton. The more you get done, the better questions you can ask, and the more you will get out of the experience. All are welcome to join us in the gallery for the presentations. 

Have fun!

D4D Deliverables- 1

Due Tuesday Oct 7: 

 

Regional Art Piece Inspiration
Arts and crafts are a window into a culture and community. It is important that your design be as culturally appropriate as possible. Research arts and crafts from your region and choose one piece in particular that will serve as your aesthetic inspiration for your product and/or service to start developing a design language. Post your art object on your blog.

Mind map

This mind map is a tool for you to think about and brainstorm the system of your design opportunity. Much of the larger context has already been discussed in your UN MDG system mapping, however, this is your chance to become more specific with the issue you have chosen.

On a large piece of paper or with stickies, map out the product and/or service at different scales. For example if it is one baby bottle, brainstorm- how will this bottle be distributed to a community, where would it potentially be manufactured, what does the end of the product's life cycle look like, how is it transported, how could it affect a family, a community, a country, and etc? This type of brainstorming is the foundation of systems design and is essential in order to holistically implement any design idea.  Photograph or scan your mind map and post it to your blog.

While brainstorming, you can start thinking about your design solutions! You will share your design concepts in the following assignment. 

Theme board 
How do you want the product and or/service to "feel"? Create a 8.5" x 14" Portrait page size layout that conveys the emotional side of your product and/or service. This can be drawn, collaged, photoshopped, illustrated or a combination there of. Post your theme board to your blog.

Design Exercise!

Design for Development

Due Date: October 21

Objective:

It's time to take all that research we've been doing and start designing a product and/or service!

Now that we understand that to touch one UN Millennium Development Goal, we must consider all, choose a specific design opportunity you found during the Systems Mapping project, a region within your studied country and a target market and develop a systemic approach to address the opportunity through a product and/or service.

Keep in mind how your product and/or service could be made as affordable as possible and potentially marketed to a high end user for subsidizing costs.

9/25/08 Homework A: Systems Mapping

Due Thursday October 2.

The UN Millennium Goals all pertain to a different area of focus, yet, they are indubitably interconnected. To address one problem, one must consider all. Because of this, it is important that we understand the system in which these are in and how they all affect each other. 

The difference between a designer and a design entrepreneur is having the ability to look between the cracks and uncover overlooked problems. It is the aim of this brainstorm to dig into these cracks and discover your design opportunity. 

As a group, and based off of our brainstorm in class, diagram how the different systems of the UN MDGs relate to one another and different scales of issues, from political structure to baby bottles, in one large visually represented poster that will be used as a centerfold for the book.

9/25/08 Homework B: Story Boards- A day in the Life

Due Tuesday Sept 30

Depict a day in the life of an individual living in a particular region.

Type of people: rural poor farmer, a little girl, a little boy, a town's political figure, a pregnant mother, an HIV+ market vendor, a rural doctor, a rural teacher. (You will choose one of these in class.)

Location: Your story board will be using the same region you did your research on for the UN MDGs.

Do your best to convey what this person's day looks like from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep in 1 spread of legal size paper (i.e. two facing pages totalling 17" x 14"). . Post your spread to your blog.

Your story board can be drawn or collaged- then scanned in, photoshopped, done in illustrator, or a combination there of. Have fun! 

Homework A: International Precedents

Due Thursday: September 25.

There are numerous organizations, products and services that are currently attempting to address the MDGs either directly or indirectly. It is important to be aware of existing precedents to build upon other’s experiences as to improve and not duplicate  what has already been done. We will look at several of these precedents as they  relate to the MDGs and consider what works and what doesn’t work with their  project or particular approach. 

Thanks to our friend Emily Pilloton at Project H, as well as Design for the Other 90%, we have an easy way of searching through the various products for Humanitarian Design. Below are just some examples of products out there, but be sure to check out all the products as listed on Project H and Cooper Hewitt's Design for the Other 90% exhibits. Stay tuned as the class will get to hear from Emily herself, along with Timothy Prestero of Design that Matters on October 9th, with a chance for students to discuss their own project ideas. 

Deliverable: Choose one of the products from the list below or another product you would like to investigate and create an 8.5" x 14" page layout depicting the product while considering the following questions: 

What problem statement does the product address?

Is the product affordable?

Is it culturally appropriate?

Does it use locally available materials and resources? 

Is it donated or bought?

If it is currently in the field, what type of impact is it having?

What are some of the criticisms of the product? (if none are published, think of some on your own)

Is this product subsidized by selling to a developed market at higher cost?

How does the product address the UN Millennium Development Goal(s)?

How does the product empower its user(s)?

Does the product fit into a larger systemized implementation strategy?

Come into class on Thursday prepared to present your research. 

KickStart
Hippo Water Roller
PlayPumps
DtM Infant Incubator
Kinkajou Microfilm Projector
OLPC
Life Straw

PermaNet

Acuset IV Flow Controller + Check out DtM for more project history.

WorldBike

ProteinForte

Freeplay Energy- wind up energy for access (choose one of the products listed)
Project-Impact-Hearing Aids
VisionSpring- eyewear business in a bag

Homework B: Brainstorm Sketches

Inspired from your research of an existing precedent, quickly sketch out about 10 product or service ideas that come to mind. These can be ways to improve the product, a variation, or a new product all together. 

Scan them in and post your sketches to your blog and come into class prepared to share your ideas. 

Homework Assignment A: Inspiration and Information

This week's homework assignment is meant to give us a greater understanding of what some people and organizations are currently doing today to address global concerns throughout the globe, and to give us greater understanding of the context of these situations. As well as inspire us to see some of the progressive thinkers of our day. 

The speakers we will watch vary from native peoples, social entrepreneurs, politicians, comedians, and beyond, all finding a way to use their skills for the greater good. Additionally, the approaches to development vary from speaker to speaker from government aid, to investing in education, to products to increase income and etc. Let us think about different forms of partnership, empowerment, and mutually beneficial investments. 

As you watch consider these questions: 

What global concern does the person discuss?

What is the main thesis and other important points and facts of their talk?

What country or region are they talking about?

What is the context?

Are there any specific numbers or statistics they discuss to convey their argument?

How does this person's talk or work relate to a UN MDG?

What type of emotion does the talk convey?

Develop one page 8 1/2" x 14" visually representing the talk and information discussed-as well as the emotional landscape. And be prepared to present your page and your thoughts on Tuesday. 

If there is a different speaker not listed here that you would like to research and present on, please contact me. Feel free to browse other TED talk and PopTech! speakers and explore as there are so many amazing ones to watch!

The suggested speakers below are more or less related to the following themes:  

Poverty:
Andrew Mwenda- Rethinking African Aid

Iqbal Quadir- How Cell-Phones are going to End Poverty. 

Jessica Flannery- Kiva.org

Education: 

Sugata Mitra- Can kids teach themselves?

Gender Equality: 

Eve Ensler- Finding happiness in body and soul

Child Mortality: 

Amy Smith- The Number one Cause of Infant Death

Maternal Health: 

At Highest Risk- YouTube

UN Millennium Campaign- YouTube

UNICEF- Child and Maternal Mortality

HIV/AIDS + Diseases: 

Emily Oster-  The Economics of AIDS in Africa

Zinny- Fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa 

Bill Clinton- Clinton Global Initiative- Building Healthcare

Environmental Sustainability: 

The Story of Stuff- Annie Leonard

Al Gore- Averting Climate Crisis

Global Partnership: 

Patrick Awuah- training new leaders

Ray Avery- a social entrepreneur

Homework Assignment B: Compare and Contrast

Find two other astounding TED or PopTech! videos to watch that address an international concern. Compare the two, and how they relate and how the approaches to addressing the concern differ. Write about two paragraphs. To make the blog look more interesting, find an image or take a screenshot of the talk to add to your blog.

Come into class prepared to discuss your findings. 

Assignment C: Brainstorming and Blue Sky Ideation

Right after or while you watch your Talks, sketch out some blue sky ideas for products/services that relate to what the talk is about. This is your opportunity to be as out there as you want to be. Do about 10, or however many you want, scan them, and post them on your blog. (try to photoshop them a little bit first to adjust the levels so the drawing can be more clear and well presented.)

Bring in your sketches to share with the class and discuss. 

Have fun!

Assignment D: DeSE logo

In Illustrator, develop two new logo ideas to bring in next week and discuss. You can work individually or as a team. Consider some of the themes we discussed in class.

Below are some sketches from our first logo brainstorm we did in class.

Some things we liked and disliked: 

Like: simplicity, a unique form with the letter DeSE on the side, something that captures the emotion but doesn't have to be too literal. 

Dislike: Although we like the pyramid (and upside-down one too) idea it's hard to make a triangle look good. 

UNMDG Research Questions

To view this week's research questions for homework, please click here.

All research from each goal must be visually represented using the format discussed in class, in a visually enticing way. Each student is responsible for researching the current situations in their chosen country in the context of each UN Millennium Development Goal. You will come into class on Thursday, Sept 18, with 9 printed pages, the first one being an overview of your chosen country including a map.

For links to factual information, please take a look at: WHO, World Bank, sourceOECD, CIA world Factbook, the Brown Library. You may use these as well as other sights on the internet. Please sight all your sources on a separate page for reference.

The material from this assignment will contribute to our class book, so please ensure there is visual clarity, as well as an enticing graphic style throughout your 9 pages of research. Please look below for information design inspiration.

Please post all pages of your research on your blog including an additional page siting your sources.

For information design inspiration please check out:

Edward Tufte books, Hans Rosling's TED talk, ManyEyes- IBM project, the Understanding book
and Read Write Web