Using the Principles of Design For Social Change We are heading towards an empathetic society that values meaning over material. We believe we can pioneer this evolution with smart design for social change.
Our practice is focused on identifying and designing in order to address questions such as how humans interact and connect with each other. To create better societies, solutions for social challenges, or design in the context of communities, we have to understand how people work with other people. Empathizing with the ones we are designing for, and embracing principles of design that leverage our values for society, are fundamental to designing better solutions. By focusing on human-centered design for social impact, we can help your organization to have a dramatically larger impact.
What does designing for social change look like at Think Design? We focus on three principles:
Design for emotion:
Designing for social change goes beyond form, function, and visual; it needs to create an emotional connection in the user. Understanding the implicit needs of individuals and organizations is foundational to designing for emotion, which is one of our specialties as a social design agency.Design for society:
Designing for societies is much more complex than designing for individuals’ desires. We need to understand dynamics, journeys, influences and handoffs at every stage of interaction; and enrich those interactions with our solutions.Design for economy:
The intricacies of economy are very different and nuanced when it comes to social design as compared to commercial design . Higher efficiency, affordability, upcycling, simplicity, and comprehension are just a few of the several facets of a solution… and they are not desirable, but rather a matter of hygiene.
As a Design Studio for social impact, our approach takes on-the-ground challenges into account. We mitigate those challenges through our proven Design methods.
RECENT CASES
Mitigating infant mortality through design
Think Design worked with ABT Associates to mitigate infant mortality in Bihar. By employing Design Thinking approaches, we identified specific areas of intervention, human-to-human interactions, and dynamics within the groups. We conceptualized and prototyped solutions, and finally deployed these solutions.
The resulting solution is multi-disciplinary and includes paper-based forms, file folders, communication material, and a set of practices to be followed in order to make the interventions work. Using principles of design for social change helped Think Design and ABT Associates to positively impact this vulnerable population.
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Interventions to penetrate AIDS vaccine
Think Design worked with IAVI (International Aids Vaccine Initiative) to identify and architect digital interventions that would help in penetrating AIDS vaccine. The consultation with key stakeholders included understanding the situation, sensitivity and challenges for such a initiative, understanding aspirations of the non-profit in penetrating the vaccine and solutioning for the same by creative, technical and strategic interventions.
The resulting comprehensive document touched upon the “Why”, “What” and “How” of such a program in its most comprehensive manifestation.
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Raising the Environmental Consciousness
Think Design worked with the Centre for Environment Education, British Gas, and Gujarat Gas Company Limited in order to make audience in Gujarat more environmentally conscious. The purpose was to make our audience aware of their environmental impact and encourage a behavioral change.
The solution that we architected was a mobile carrier, which transmitted passive and interactive educational material about the environment, leading to ‘greener’ behavior among users. When nonprofits use proven principles of design for social change, they can help make the world a better place.
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Imparting personal hygiene to rural audience
Think Design worked with the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation to educate the rural population of Andhra Pradesh on the importance of personal hygiene in order to create a lifestyle change among farming communities across coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh, India.
The solution was a mobile carrier of communication. The interactive, entertaining, and participatory material attracted huge crowds. The program ran for two years across villages, positively impacting one community after the other. Our social design agency helped GMR to have a powerful impact on people in need.
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