Summary
In her talk, Arielle Keenan reflects on her decade-long experience in Civic design, highlighting the growth of the field and the emerging community of practitioners. She acknowledges the progress made yet stresses the ongoing challenges and learning opportunities in using design, data, and technology to enhance the social safety net. Keenan emphasizes the need for community involvement in design processes, addressing the importance of equity and care in design practices. She also touches on the complexities of collaborating across various organizational silos and the necessity of nurturing a healthy culture within teams. Keenan sets the stage for a day of learning, focusing on skill-building for navigating these complexities and the role of privilege in design work.
Key Insights
-
•
Civic design is an emergent field with ongoing challenges and learning opportunities.
-
•
There has been significant growth in the community of Civic designers in the U.S.
-
•
It is essential for designers to acknowledge the power and privilege they wield.
-
•
Collaboration with community members is becoming increasingly important in design processes.
-
•
Healthy workplace cultures are crucial for effective Civic design.
-
•
Designing with versus designing for communities shifts roles and responsibilities.
-
•
Navigating conflicts among various stakeholders is a key aspect of Civic design.
-
•
Equity and care should be central to design outputs and impacts.
-
•
Continual skill-building is necessary for all practitioners, regardless of experience.
-
•
Community members can significantly contribute as consultants in design projects.
Notable Quotes
"We're always still learning in this field of Civic design."
"I'm regularly pleasantly surprised to see a deeper internal culture inside many governments."
"We need to yield our power to others in design."
"The roles of who is designing are continually shifting in important ways."
"We should focus on creating healthy cultures across organizational silos."
"The inherent conflict among stakeholders must be navigated carefully."
"Our work must reflect equity and care in how we operate."
"A community-focused design process empowers local voices."
"Skill-building is essential for navigating complexities in Civic design."
"Let's celebrate the progress while recognizing there's still much to do."
More Videos
"Designing services that work not just for us now but for our future selves is our responsibility."
Samuel ProulxInvisible barriers: Why accessible service design can’t be an afterthought
December 3, 2024
"Every organization has the opportunity to change and alter its ways."
Victor UdoewaTheme One Intro
March 27, 2023
"Integrating an ROI strategy means gaining credibility in early product development processes."
Gonzalo GoyanesDesign ROI: Cover a Little, Get a Lot
September 8, 2022
"It's important for designers to rethink their savior complex."
Alexandra SchmidtWhy Ethics Can't Save Tech
November 18, 2022
"Results don't speak for themselves; we speak for what we do."
Jose CoronadoFrom Zero to Hero
September 8, 2022
"At BT, I'm responsible for onboarding new starters within the design team."
Pippa LomasPaving the Path for Neurodiversity in Design
October 4, 2023
"Your unique perspective can help crack open issues that deep specialists might overlook."
Louis Rosenfeld Matt Jones Olga Khroustaleva Michael Leggett Karol MunozDo you want to work on climate? (Climate UX Discussion Series)
November 15, 2023
"If you don't hire designers, you're still gonna get design. It's just gonna suck."
Jeff GothelfThe Intersection of Lean and Design
January 10, 2019
"We gotta sit through two hours a day of gray; the answer is no, you don't have to sit through two hours."
Dave GrayGroup Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
