Design Intent
beyond Human-Centered Design
To tackle contemporary complexities in our society, Design practice needs to evolve beyond Human-Centeredness, engage trans-disciplinary experts, and intervene at the infrastructural level of the scope by Involving social entrepreneurs, social workers, grassroots-level organizations, government agencies, activists, advocates, and other institutional stakeholders along in participatory-action research.
We need to approach problems through “the sustainability lens.” We need to acknowledge the complexity of solving these socio-technical and socio-ecological problems. The process, by nature, is messy, participatory, and iterative. Hence the need to involve clients, partners, and other experts in the process, from sense-making to re-framing to prototyping solutions.
The change we wish to advocate for, be it ecological, social, or economic, should influence the people we partner with and the clients we engage, In aspiring for an equitable, inclusive, and diverse future community.
As a Graduate student at the IIT Institute of Design, I studied Human-centered design with particular emphasis on User research, Strategy & Experience using design methods to foster innovation. I approach a problem with a Human-Centered perspective. I enjoy Generative ideation and prototyping based on User needs.
I love being in a space where people embrace ambiguity and are filled with curiosity, empathy, and problem-solving abilities.
Need for Systems Thinking.
The economic disparity between social classes, the rapid depletion of natural resources, urbanization in cities, lack of access to affordable healthcare and education, failed governance, increased populations to feed, and climate-induced migrations have catalyzed social unrest.
Moving resources geographies across for cheaper economics in the name of globalization often disintegrates social, cultural, and political relationships at the source.
Our communities face inequity, Opinions are not inclusive, and Values don’t respect diversity. Our society comprises complex problems that cannot be pointed out, called upon, and solved in isolation. These systems were created solely for the economic benefit of humans and made possible by the rapid depletion of natural resources, Improper waste management, dumping of plastics into oceans, And increased greenhouse gas emissions. Further, Innovation processes have only catalyzed these Techno-centric futures that promote irrational consumption and production behaviors.
The solutions to such wicked problems lie in de-tangling the Socio-Ecological-Technical interactions that inherently are biased towards privilege in communities. They’ve become obsolete to present-day situations and are not sustainable anymore.