S I D E

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Content

Forward

Reflection

Research

Statement

Proposal

Bibliography

Thank you

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Forward

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This project proposes to empower social enterprise to be the best it can be with the assistance of design thinking and techniques.

This book finds the project at the turning point between immersion and action. The first half of the year involved extensive investigation into the overlap between social innovation, design and enterprise (SIDE). The next half of the year will be about acting upon these learnings by working with social enterprises to fulfil the proposal.

ReflectionReflection

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11

13

Hello

My practice

Projects that led me here

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My name is Lucy. I have had the desire to design for as long as I can remember. Initially drawn like a moth to the gleam and shine of lighting design, studying industrial design has shown me that design can be so much more. Both a blessing and a curse, lighting is no longer enough. I now see design as a catalyst for change. This is a notion that I haven’t quite figured out how to tackle just yet, but it is a perception that powerfully influences every aspect of my work and keeps me hungry for more.

Hello

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Welcome to my world. In relatively few years of designing, I have found things that I like and I want my work to embody. These include design that is smart, simple and not too serious. In more recent times, I have added local, collaborative and socially sustainable to the list.

My skills lie in seeing problems as opportunities and finding unexpected, yet cleverly simple, self sustaining, long term solutions. I thrive on working with people from various disciplines, and I believe in co-designing with stakeholders.

My practice

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My interest in socially sustainable innovation was sparked by a 2010 studio collaborating with interior design students and The Social Studio, a social enterprise based in Melbourne. Working with a team to design and build a market stall bike (shown above) for the studio showed me that design skills can be applied to bigger ideas Disillusioned with my original dreams of lighting design, I began looking for projects with more powerful results.

The next opportunity that arose was working with UNSW design professor Mariano Ramirez to write a paper proposal looking into social sustainability in design competitions. Our definition of ‘social sustainability’ gave me clarity in the uncharted territory of socially sustainable design.

Projects that led me here

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A study abroad semester to India soon afterward allowed me to work with Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), an organisation producing and distributing the Jaipur prosthetic foot to amputees (shown above). They brought in design students to help standardise their product for easier distribution. We learnt how to work for a client and how design can help enterprise be the best it can be.

Finally, another studio (following page) investigated social norms and behaviour expectations. We pushed these boundaries by inviting the public to join us in activities where the only commitments where a donation of time and conversation. Simply creating a line of communication between ourselves and the public received a great response. People were keen to talk, share and collaborate.

These projects have landed me with a full blown obsession with social innovation, design and enterprise.

...continued

Research

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Investigation

Chats

Case studies

Survey

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Initially I needed to gain a general understanding of social enterprise and design thinking. I needed definitions and clarity. In these fields, definitions are many and varied, but I found the best to be as follows:

Social Enterprise‘When entrepreneurs or businesses use market forces to deliver goals of social or environmental change...’

Nic Frances, The End of Charitya

Design Thinking‘...a set of principles that can be applied by a diverse people to a wide range of problems.’

Tim Brown, Change by Designb

Investigation

Social Sustainability

Social Enterprise

Socially Sustainable

Design

Design Firms

Industrial Design

Enterprise

?

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...continued

I quickly discovered that while there are extensive resources on social enterprise and, more recently, design thinking, the ground where they overlap has scant coverage. I would have to do my own investigations and come to my own conclusions. This, combined with the freedom of a university degree, gave me the opportunity to undertake an immersive approach and dabble in a little propositional design.

Alyssa, FYAEmma & Ella,

Activating Change

Yoko, DESIS

Lisa, Social Trad-ers

Kate, Social + Sustainable

Justin, Justin Hutchin-son Design

Raph, Better Boards

Mark, Social Traders

Mindy, Social Traders

Leeanne, CoDesign Studio

SIDE

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The greatest resources have been the people that share a passion for social innovation, design and/or enterprise. One of the beautiful things about working in the area of social innovation, is that the people involved are people people. They are keen to chat with and support other social changers. It is a very strong community.

I have spoken to a range of disciplines including designers, social changers, professors and business people. This has given me a wide understanding of various stakeholders in the area and what they want to see happen.

Chats

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SE Case Studies

There are three types of social enterprise, as defined by Social Tradersc:

‘Businesses that provide employment, training 1. and support for marginalised groups.’‘Businesses that create or retain services in 2. direct response to social or economic needs in the community.’‘Businesses that generate profits to 3. support other community or not for profit organisational activities.’

There are a great deal of types 1and 2 in Melbourne, so I grabbed my bags and went on a socially sustainable shopping spree. A bit of participant observation and few conversations with staff members produced some great insights to what makes these stores successful, not to mention material for my presentation.

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As there is minimal research published on the topic of social enterprise and design, I looked at businesses that had successfully applied design to social concerns and how they made it happen. Luckily with most SE’s in this field their processes are open source, and they encourage replication.

I looked into:

TACSICoDesign StudioParticipleProject H DesignIDEO.org

Image 1.

SE + D Case studies

What does the term ‘design’ mean to you?

No idea.

Invention or the process of making a physical model based

on a concept.

The architecture and accessibility of an

establishment.

What does the term ‘design thinking’ mean

to you?

Unsure

Can’t describe.

As I’m not involved in the design industry I

have no idea

Please select skills that you believe

design could uniquely contribute to your

enterprise.

Opportunity identification

Innovative thinking

Understanding of aesthetics

More effective product/service

Defining valueStrengthening brand identity

Please select skills that you believe your social

enterprise could uniquely contribute to designers or

design consultancies

Developing a sense of community within the

business

Enhancing positive community impact

Interaction with society

Balancing social and business goals

“ “

“

“

“

“

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My final research for design technique was an online survey, one for SEs and the other for designers. Though I only had a few responses out of the the twenty SE who agreed to participate, there were some wonderful insights, a few shown above.

Both SEs and designers were each asked the same questions about their relationship with the other. There were some interesting similarities in their responses.

Survey

Statement

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43

45

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Insights

What SIDE looks like now

What design brings to the table

Vision for the future

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InsightsSocial Enterprise

Social enterprise is not a new concept- over • 60% of Australian SEs are 10 or more years old, and they have been around under other names, such as a cooperative.Writing on the topic began in the mid 2000s• A successful SE must first be a successful • business, they cannot just rely on their SE statusSEs often struggle to balance their financial • and social goalsSEs do not communicate much with each • otherSEs, like any business, need a good incentive • to spend money, they need to be able to see the value addedThe general public has only a basic • understanding of what an SE isThere are many non-profit organisations • supporting SEsThere are many organisations in Australia • supporting SEs with business and finance help

Image 2.

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‘Design thinking’ is a buzzword in business, • and more recently, social enterpriseMost SEs have not heard of design thinking • and do not know what it isMost SEs do not have a clear understanding • of what design isMost SEs describe their business as • innovativeVery few SEs have hired design services in the • past or have interest in doing so in the future SEs have a very tight cashflow, so are often unwilling to put money into designSEs believe that design could contribute to • their business. Designers agree.SEs believe that they can contribute to • designers/design consultancies. Designers agree.

InsightsSocial Enterprise and Design

Community

TACSI

CoDesign Studio

Project H

Open IDEO

SIX

Innovation Cloud

Social Traders

FYA

RMIT SEEDS

Tele conferencing

Participle

Assisted engagement

Experience based

Workshops

Scalable

Inter discplinary

Design

Community development

Social science

Changing behaviours

Assisted engagement

Big ideas

Global

Connect people

Collaborative

Radical redesign

Local

Toolkits

Public speaking

Challenge:Solution

Framing

Replicable

Open source

Design thinking tools

CSI

Centre for Civil Society

Action

Support

Prototyping/pilots

Systemic

IDEO.org

DESIS

ASIX

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You can see above some of the techniques that designerly social enterprises use to achieve long term, successful solutions to social challenges. A few of the key and common techniques include:

See problems as challenges • Design together • Be intimately familiar with the challenge• Continuously reassess- think, create, test, • repeatMake the process and solution open source, • replicable and scalableDocument the before, during and after, so you • can see the change and how it was done

InightsSuccessful Processes

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From the previous insights, you can see that SIDE is a recently formed, but quickly growing field. As social enterprises are being increasingly recognised for their self sustaining positive impact, it is a good time for design to give SEs an extra boost. By proving their success whilst in the spotlight, SIDE can cement itself in the public eye and set a glowing example for others to join.

Organisations that support SEs are plentiful, but when it comes to SIDE, the only examples are individual enterprises, not external supportive bodies.

Image 3.

What SIDE looks like now

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What design brings to the table

Over the course of my degree in industrial design, the topic has broadened to become a study of design, and broadened again to the point where I will probably graduate with a Bachelor of Problem Solving. This is essentially what is unique about design, it sees problems as challenges and finds creative, innovative and inclusive ways of overcoming them. When surveyed, both SEs and designers agreed that when it comes to SIDE, design can bring the following:

Understanding of aesthetics• Opportunity identification• Innovative thinking• More effective product/service• Strengthening brand identity•

These skills, and many more, are a direct result of using design thinking techniques including:

Idea generation• Mapping innovation• Intensive workshops• Mock-ups and prototypes•

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Vision for the future

This project has a bright future planned for SIDE.

It is a world where every business is a SE.

The public expects their suppliers to have a triple-bottom-line approach.

A market cost is assigned to social concerns and therefore solutions have a tangible value.

Every short and long term project is undertaken with a team made up of stakeholders and experts.

Design is employed to help SEs recognise and maximise their value and to problem solve in innovative ways.

SE’s have easy access to tools, resources and their community.

Progress is documented, celebrated and shared.

Increased government support of SIDE, including supportive policy.

Proposal

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Making the vision reality

Next

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At mid semester, after initial research, the only way I could see of fulfilling the project vision for SIDE was with a design consultancy specialising in social enterprise. YESS was born. It had great momentum at the beginning, but then continued to come against road blocks. The idea was not innovative, simply applying an old idea to new knowledge and new scenarios, and people kept telling me that unless the added value was very clear, SEs would not invest. I could not clearly define what the value add was, so it was time to try something different.

YESS is still an option for a time in the future when design thinking is a clearly understood concept in the SE community and I have developed a greater understanding of the value added.

Making the vision reality

Empowering SIDE

Address specific social concerns with tailor-made

solutions

Design SIDE processesTraditional design consulting to SE

YESS

Design and start up new

SEs

A guide to applying design

to SE

In-house designers in

SEsSIDE mentors

in SEs

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Turning to Soumitri, designer and social entrepreneur, for guidance, he helped me see that there is more than one way to make the project’s vision a reality. Backcasting allows an endless variation of paths that would point SIDE in the right direction. The image above shows the three that resonate greatest with me and my SIDE experience.

The long term project vision is for all businesses to practice SIDE. Therefore the action taken must be replicable and scalable. From what I have seen and investigated, a model that SEs can apply themselves, or requires only a short term commitment to another organisation would be optimal. ‘Designing SIDE processes’ would allow for this, and would also be applicable to wide range of scenarios, including design consultancies and SE start ups.

...continued

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The next step in the SIDE project is to get my hands dirty. I will be working with a SE on a short term project to apply all the knowledge I have gained and see how the theory transfers to reality.

These learnings will guide the development of a SIDE model, advising designers and enterprises on how to apply the concept to their practice.

Next

Bibliography

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Images

TACSI (2011) Radical Redesign: Family by 1. Family. Page 3 of 19 “Social Traders Blogger Profile.” Retrieved 2. 19th March, 2012, from http://www.blogger.com/profile/03068683619307357710.Burkett, I. (March 23, 2012). “From the Edi-3. tor.” Autumn 2012: Design and Social Innova-tion. from http://knowledgeconnect.com.au/2012/03/autumn-2012-design-and-social-innovation/.

Quotes

Pg 57, Frances, N. (2008). The End of Charity: a. Time for Social Enterprise. Crows Nest, Allen & Unwin.Pg 7, Brown, T. (2009). Change By Design. b. New York, HarperCollins Publishers.(2009). “Social Enterprise Typology.” Re-c. trieved 20th April, 2012, from http://www.so-cialtraders.com.au/social-enterprise-typology.

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General

. “The Crunch.” Retrieved 24th • May, 2012, from http://www.thecrunch.socialtraders.com.au/.. “A Life We Want.” Retrieved • 31st May, 2012, from http://www.alifewewant.com/display/HOME/System+Change.. “Yoko Akama Academia pro-• file.” Retrieved 12th May, 2012, from http://rmit.academia.edu/YokoAkama.. “Our People.” Retrieved 12th • May, 2012, from http://www.socialtraders.com.au/our-people.. “Raph Goldsworthy Profile.” • Retrieved 12th May, 2012, from http://readmill.com/designdrop-lets/following.. “Change It Up.” Retrieved 25th • April, 2012, from http://changeitu-pau.wordpress.com/.. “Facebook Images.” Retrieved • 30th May, 2012, from http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150732296410639&set=t.574542768&type=3&theater.. “Architects Without Frontiers.” • Retrieved 30th May, 2012, from http://www.architectswithoutfron-tiers.com.au/site/people.html.

. “Social Traders Blogger Profile.” • Retrieved 19th March, 2012, from http://www.blogger.com/pro-file/03068683619307357710.(2010). FASES: Social Enterprise • in Australia: a preliminary snap-shot, Social TradersThe Australian Centre for Phi-• lanthropy and Nonprofit Stud-ies, Queensland University of Technology: 16.Ambrose, G. and P. Harris (2010). • Design Thinking. Switzerland, AVA Publishing.Blossom, E. (2011). Material • Change: Design thinking and the social entrepreneurship move-ment. New York, Bellerophon Publications, Inc.Burkett, I. (March 23, 2012). • “From the Editor.” Autumn 2012: Design and Social Innovation. from http://knowledgeconnect.• com.au/2012/03/autumn-2012-design-and-social-innovation/.Hutchinson, J. Retrieved 10th May, • 2012, from http://justinhutchin-son.com/#/about/bio.Jain, S. C. and S. Vachani, Eds. • (2006). Multinational Corpora-

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tions and Global Poverty Reduc-tion. Massachusetts, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.Murray, P. (2011). The Sustainable • Self. London, Earthscan Ltd. Perrini, F., Ed. (2006). The New • Social Entrepreneurship: What Awaits Social Entrepreneurial Ventures? Cheltenham.Phillis, Y. A. and V. S. Kouikoglou • (2009). Fuzzy Measurement of Sustainability, Nova Science Pub-lishers, Inc.Pilloton, E. (2009). Design revolu-• tion : 100 products that empower people New York, NY, Metropolis Books: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers.Price, R. M. (2005). The Eye for • Innovation. United States of America, Robert Price.Purbrick-Herbst, J., Ed. (2011). • From where I was to where I am: Seven people talk about working in a social enterprise. Melbourne, Social Traders, with Jobs Australia.Schon, D. A. (1983). The Reflec-• tive Practitioner: How Profession-als Think in Action. London, Basic

Books Inc.Shea, A. (2012). Designing for • social change: Strategies for community-based graphic design-ers. New York, Princeton Archi-tectural Press.Stickdorn, M. and J. Schneider • (2011). This is Service Design Thinking. Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Simmons, C. (2011). Just Design: • Socially Conscious Design for Critical Causes. Ohio, HOW Books. Steffen, A., Ed. (2011). World • Changing: A user’s guide for the 21st century. New York, Abrams.TACSI (2011) Radical Redesign: • Family by Family. 19 Victionary, Ed. 100 Eco Ideas + • Eco Designs, Love Earth.Wilson, C. and P. Wilson (2006). • Make Poverty Business. Sheffield, Greenleaf Publishing Limited.Wustenhagen, R., J. Hamschmidt, • et al., Eds. (2008). Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneur-ship. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

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Thank-You

Social InnovationDesign

Enterprise

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