Design in Action
Social impact organizations worldwide are tackling some of society’s most challenging problems. We’ve had the opportunity to work with leaders taking on issues including food insecurity, housing and homelessness, sexual violence, and the opioid epidemic in their non-profit, government and for-profit organizations. With limited resources, they must understand complex challenges, innovate on their approaches and interventions, all the while running their existing day-to-day programs.
Our mission is to support leaders and their organizations to bring about positive change in the world. We have seen how adopting design practices can help create that change. In our Designing for Social Systems program, at the d.school, we develop and teach design practices that integrate methods from human-centered design, systems thinking, and strategic planning, grounded in a commitment to equity and anti-racism. These case studies highlight meaningful work and hard-fought impact by some of our program participants, and how design played a role.
THE STORIES
Designing a Sex Ed Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities
The Adapted Sex Ed program has improved many lives. For the first time in Denver Public School's history, students with disabilities are receiving sexual health education and access to quality sexual healthcare through a program that elevated and continues to elevate their voice in the design and implementation.
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Tackling the Opioid Crisis at the Human and Systems Levels
For the past several years, the health of the Lummi People has been threatened by opioid addiction. In response, members of the Lummi Tribal Clinic deeply investigated the causes and needs of those suffering from opioid use disorder, and redesigned at the service- and systems levels.
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Using Design to Navigate the Pandemic Uncertainty
Peabody, one of the oldest and largest housing associations in the UK, provides housing and support across London and the South-East of England to over 133,000 residents, including 7,000 over the age of 70. When the health risks and lockdowns due to COVID-19 came in March 2020, it was essential for them to respond with resourcefulness and agility to successfully carry out their long-standing social mission: to make people’s lives better.
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How City Government Can Become More Responsive to Residents
Over the course of two years the City of El Paso grew their capacity to center and serve El Paso residents, by adding human-centered design to their organizational practices. Through trainings, active experimentation, and hard work to apply design practices, they have built new approaches and skills to better engage residents and build solutions that work for the community.
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