Design For America WashU Strategic Planning
How might we reimagine the values and infrastructure of DFA WashU to facilitate more meaningful projects and partnerships?
LOCATION: Remote based in St. Louis, MO
SKILLS: Project Management, Consensus, Research, Facilitation, Workshop Development
TIMEFRAME: June 2020 - Present
TEAM: FL20 WashU DFA studio
ROLES: Facilitator, Researcher, Curriculum Development
AUDIENCE: Design for America WashU, local partners
CONTEXT:
This is an ongoing project where our team hopes to radically reshape the structure of our Design For America Studio to better align with equity-centered values.
DELIVERABLES:
By the end of Fall 2020, we hope to have a strategic plan for our studio moving forward for not only rethinking our current structure, but constantly reflecting on our processes and partnerships. We outlined seven studio values and organized teams to address six of them this semester. Each team will prototype one concept for furthering their assigned value by the end of FL20 as part of this long-term structural change.
SUMMER PLANNING:
After discussing the need for a strategic plan for studio with the current co-president in June, we spent the rest of the summer working with interested members to identify a plan for tackling such a big project. Through a series of workshops and work sessions, we defined seven values we wanted to uphold as an organization and planned to have teams do internal design research projects focused on each one throughout FL20.
Summer Action Committee
Recruited studio members to participate in a voluntary committee responsible for drafting new values and leading summer workshops
Spearheaded studio education on Design Justice and equity-centered design practices
Workshop Facilitation
Planned and facilitated three virtual workshops for studio in Mural to receive feedback on organizational culture and infrastructure
Incorporated feedback from workshops into project scopes for FL20
FALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
Throughout the FL20 semester, I acted as a mentor for all our teams, checking in with them weekly and outlining project tasks as a loose timeline keep everyone on track. The goal of the semester was to prototype at least one idea that would further each team’s assigned value so we could begin testing and implementing in the spring. Assisted by a new Fall Action Committee, I also helped set the topics for speakers to come in and further studio design education.
Project Management
Outlined semester timeline and recommended tasks
Discussed outputs and outcomes with teams
Established new rotating team lead structure to give all members leadership opportunities
Weekly Check-Ins
Scheduled weekly check-ins with team leads
Answered questions and discussed project progress
Coordinated insights and work between teams and Fall Action Committee
Remote Work Instruction
Created informational videos for onboarding members to both Notion and Mural as remote collaboration and project management tools
FALL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION:
Interviewing
Paired teams to interview each other internally, assisted with recruitment of external participants including WashU’s Gephardt Institute, former members, and other DFA studios
Provided feedback on interview guides and questions
Synthesis and Reframe
Mentored teams through the synthesis process
Provided tools and frameworks for identifying design criteria and narrowed project scopes based on insights
INDEPENDANT RESEARCH:
As part of the strategic planning process, I have been conducting independent research through WashU’s sociology department exploring ways that discussions of power and identity can be better incorporated into design practices. The final paper will outline a framework for WashU DFA to follow going forward and will be completed at the end of FL20.