Design Research—Center for Socially Engaged Design

From May–July 2021, I worked with two design researchers to address an organizational challenge within the College of Engineering (CoE) at the University of Michigan. Our goal was to create a roadmap for the Center for Socially Engaged Design (C-SED) and the Center for Engineering Diversity & Outreach (CEDO) to engage with their clients.

Overview

Role: Design Research Intern

Silos. Redundant efforts. Disconnection. Unclear roles and responsibilities. These are often the harsh reality of large organizations. Universities are no different than their corporate colleagues. C-SED’s and CEDO’s individual office missions are clear to them, but not to each other and not to their clients. In research, particularly in the impact space, their clients are faculty members, each with their own lab, objectives, and aims towards funding and publication. These diverse needs require an innovative approach to manage complexity and change. In order to do this, they need to first understand the current needs and assets, the unique experiences of faculty across the college, and the changing landscape of research funding, particularly around the connection between the research and its broader impacts in society.

Methodologies

Socially Engaged Design

We approached the challenge using the socially engaged design process model, pictured below. The process model is similar to other design thinking process models, with some deviations such as undercurrents. We continually reflected and analyzed the power, privilege, identity, motivations, and politics of not only ourselves but every person and organization we interacted with within the challenge space. The process focused on six design mindsets: engage with empathy, practice curiosity, embrace ambiguity, create collaboratively, clarify your intention, and contribute confidently.

Before diving into the challenge, we conducted a landscape analysis using primary and secondary resources to gain a better understanding of the space we would be working in. This included research into the individual parts of the CoE, the grant process of the National Science Foundation and similar organizations, current resources offered through the CoE and university, and how other universities traverse this complex landscape. Through this research, we developed the challenge statement: C-SED and CEDO need to establish a roadmap for interacting with faculty and partners in the context of successful grant proposals.

After completing the landscape analysis, we worked with the clients to create an ecosystem map. This helped us to visualize the different organizations and stakeholders in relation to their impact on our challenge statement. The different colored sticky notes represent resource providers, complementary organizations and allies, supporters and beneficiaries of the status quo, opponents and problem makers, affected or influential bystanders, and beneficiaries and customers. We iterated on the map throughout the entirety of the socially engaged design process, ultimately concluding on the second map.

From the ecosystem map, we started outreach to stakeholders. We identified 91 individual stakeholders, contacted 89, and interviewed 51. Notes were taken during each interview, using those to form our affinity wall. These are iterations of the affinity wall as more information was gathered and mapped, making sure to code and anonymize the sticky notes using a number system only known to myself and the two other interns, Kendell and Ally.