#designforsocialpractice

This past week was great - I loved getting to see everyone’s presentations on the wicked problems they picked. I thought everyone did a great job communicating the issues as a whole, and helping us understand just how extensive they can get. 

One of the underlying thoughts I had that blanketed the whole week was just how intertwined everyone’s issues really were. While it might not have been blatant or obvious, with a little digging the dots could be seen.

Reflecting on my own presentation, I realized that I need to work on communicating my underlying sympathies and knowledge to my audience. I came across, too many times (nothing unusual), as unwavering, inconsiderate, and uninformed of other perspectives. Specifically speaking, the issue of the importance sports plays in society, and the benefits it brings to our communities. I in no way meant to suggest that I think sports are an abomination that needs to be eliminated - I realize they help get people active, and that they play a big role in purpose for many people. When I fail to communicate that base knowledge, I only end up hurting my own message, and need to be aware of how that impacts the perceptions people have of me.

This last week we had the privilege of talking with the Policy Director for Marilyn Brown, Michael Daniels, and I have to say that it was one of the most relevant discussions I think I’ve had in a classroom setting. 

He is charged with developing policy that affects nearly 1.2 million people in Franklin County - and that comes with an incredible amount of responsibility. 

Interactions like this, especially in a college setting, speak to a lot of the research that I’ve been conducting on higher education - mainly the idea that Higher Education has lost it’s fundamental tenant as a ‘public sphere’, as Henry Giroux so eloquently put it in his article titled ‘Neo-liberalism, Corporate Culture, and the Promise of Higher Education: The University as a Democratic Public Sphere’. 

Director Daniels spoke to this idea of ‘civic engagement’, and the difficulties in trying to improve it in the general community. It was an interesting moment, having someone who was essentially, for many of us, the first individual we’d engaged with on a civic level, discussing the importance of civic engagement. In a sense, it was a completely ironic conversation that took an experimental class and curriculum to come into existence. 

This past week and a half, we’ve been discussing the concept of ‘Wicked Problems’, or alternatively, problems that are so massive in scope, scale, and understanding that they can be difficult to solve in a small time frame or with a simple solution. We completed a group activity which I thought was highly effective in merging individual perspectives and focus into a more comprehensive understanding that can be shared and owned by everyone. Wicked problems are complex by nature, and as such, involve heavy, and emotionally difficult conversation. The only way to get the absolutely foundation of those problems is to live inside of them - and travel, conversationally, to the origin of the problems. I find that design, by nature, is an often overlooked method for confronting wicked problems. When merged with sociology and anthropology, among other fields, design can become a truly effective force in creating lasting, impactful change. 

Film Review

I recently had the opportunity to see a screening of the documentary ‘Cincinnati Goddamn’ - and I highly recommend each and every one of you get your hands on a copy, if you can. This film has to be one of the most moving, heart-wrenching narratives I’ve seen on the topic of racial injustice in America.

The film spoke volumes on the types of injustices that occurred in the late 1990′s into the early 2000′s, and correctly predicted that the cycle of injustice would indeed repeat again, as it has in the last half-decade. 

As stated in my thesis presentation, topics such as racial injustice are too far removed from the discussion table at design institutions. Here are some of the key educational highlights that I pulled from the documentary:

1. Education for community facilitation and communication One of the women, Professor Rhonda Y. Williams, on the panel that followed said they are looking for ways to enforce “education instead of militarization of police forces.”

One of the central elements that clearly missing was the presence of the officers on the police force in the community when not on duty.

2. Education for personal freedom and liberty This was evident in one of the arrest examples that was shown, where Roger Owensby, Jr was forcible beaten and taken into custody, which was against his rights as a citizen.

3. Education as core tenant to responsible conversation Finally, education used to spread the truth and facts about how and why things are the way that they are. Core beliefs are challenged with simple information; for instance, in the film, they explain that the reason so many minorities are out on the streets is because they cannot afford climate control in their homes, so the streets, at times, can be a more comfortable alternative.

Super interesting article on students that took their curriculum into their own hands, and designed core components they thought were missing.

In my past experiences, there has been little time given or commitment towards discussions around why we, as students, have chosen the field of design, and what we want to do with it. 

So I watched Urbanized again this weekend, and some interesting points jumped out at me that I hadn’t really thought of the first time I viewed it.

1) Design with, not for.

The importance of ‘citizen participation’ was prevalent throughout the film. In order for design solutions to be effective, they need to directly involve those that must live with the solutions and results. In addition, Designers, Planners, and Architects, need to work harder to eliminate the ego that they bring to the table when designing solutions for others. We are experts in our discipline, but not necessarily in the problem we are trying to solve.

2) Government planning needs to be empathetic to all citizens.

Government officials need to plan effectively for all citizens - not just the wealthy. Self-worth is inherently tied into what is individually available and attainable in many societies, and Brazils’ transit plan is a successful example of policy and design used to increase that self-worth. Which in turn, promotes individual success and happiness. Understanding how transit is linked to self-worth can only be discovered through an empathy driven design and planning approach.

3) Designers need to look beyond themselves.

Designers, as well as architects and planners, need to do some serious soul-searching. As long as we act like politicians - beholden to certain industries and individuals simply because they control our income - we will not have a sustainable future in our field. We need to evolve to become facilitators of social interaction, and aid those who struggle to find a platform to discuss the problems they face.

4) Internal perceptions need to be challenged.