Adapt as a designer
Hybrid Project
This project has been a rewarding learning experience for me and the entire team. As we were a brand new team, it took more time than usual to get to know each other. I had difficulties adapting to the digital nature of the collaboration, feeling uncomfortable and confused by the lack of creativity at first. Overall, the context offered the chance to approach the project in a hybrid way, challenging new methods of working, learning, and interacting in person, remotely, digitally, synchronously, and asynchronously as a GSA team, with the CCI team, experts, and project stakeholders. Having to work through our screens and to adjust in such a short time made us more empathetic and attentive to everyone’s needs which I think, greatly contributed to the success of the collaboration -perhaps more than if we had a full physical experience. It also pushed us to be carefully organized. It demonstrated the importance and need of having a plan. In all the group projects I did in the past, I never had such a structured and professional approach to a project and I am very grateful to the team for bringing this and offering me new organizational skills.
Adapt as a designer
My role Within the project
Although I was a bit worried at the start because I didn’t feel like I had the most relevant skills for this project, I managed to find my place within the group. The phase I’ve enjoyed the most was the third one, as it seemed like our work made the most sense at that point. We had to regroup all the elements and define what made sense to deliver to CCI but most important, as creative people, it was the moment when we made things. Through the project, I was naturally assigned ‘illustrator’ of the team. I like to think visually and as the project felt quite abstract from time to time for me, it was a very pleasant feeling to be able to work on my strengths and towards the end, finally visualize very concretely the project. Working on the visuals of the stories and personas was an important responsibility and crucial task in the project. Visuals are the first door to a project and the first thing people see. So It has to communicate well the feeling of the project and most of all it must make you want to discover it. I think it was successful and I’m proud of that deliverable.
On a personal level, as I might pursue illustration in the future, I can see that project being a great experience to refer to for future practice as an illustrator: it taught me how to experiment with storytelling approaches, propose and adapt my drawing style to a design project, demands and expectations of a partner.
Professional Collaboration
From CCI to US
Overall, this project was a wonderful opportunity to work collaboratively with experts and real partners that valued our work and gave us inputs based on real experiences through the process. Previous projects I have done for a partner involved no participation from the client until the end. Having Stevie and more especially Chris and Heather along the project played an important part in its success. Co-designing with and not for the partner was fundamental for us to understand and ground the context we were working for. For me, this was a shift in the research perspective and a learning experience I will take forward for my thesis or future projects. It taught me the value of collaborating with all ranges of people and professions and most of all, to dare to ask for help and expertise from professionals. I learned that usually if they have time, they will probably be happy to help and interested in our work. This awareness opened up many possibilities for the future. The project also gave us a unique view of the inner workings of the design department of CCI.
Professional Collaboration
From US to CCI
I think our collective expertise had been fruitful to CCI for several reasons: firstly and most importantly perhaps, we were outsiders and students. This means that we came with a fresh eye on the subject: we were unencumbered by the technical details and day to day goals that employees have to meet. It allowed us to project ourselves perhaps more easily in a long term vision, with less bias. This also meant we could discover and sample several different perspectives on the future activities of CCI and the future of participatory democracy. As outsiders, we were also able to present provocative scenarios that challenged the direction CCI usually adopts.
Professional Collaboration
Ecosystem of trust
To me, one of the most important learning experiences of the project was managing group work with 8 people and a linear hierarchy with no leader. Although it has been a real struggle at times, we progressively figured out how to organize ourselves more efficiently. By working to each of our strengths, pairing up to focus on tasks, and most importantly trusting each other as a team of eight, we managed to effectively collaborate and collectively produce a portfolio of future artifacts, citizens, places, and stories. It was the second time I worked with a large group and the first time it was successful.
New approaches
Challenging the brief
It was also a research-based project, the outcome of which was meant to convey that research rather than being an implementable proposal. This initial intention differed from the types of design I’ve practiced during my two years abroad, where the focus was on physical making and what was being produced. However, as a team, we challenged the brief, brought new perspectives, and shaped new deliverables such as future artefacts. This is something that was made possible thanks to the flexible nature of the collaboration with the partner. I see this project as a transition between studies and professional life as we were approaching it and being treated like an actual design team rather than students. In comparison to previous partnerships I did where clients were strict with their demands, we had more freedom. This is something we all appreciated and again that participated in the success of the project.
New approaches
Semi-speculative Social Design project
I can see that the approach we used for Collaborative Futures was appropriate for tackling a complicated subject and adopting a future-focused mindset. Exploring design future methodologies, allowed us to engage more easily, give space and freedom for provocative outputs. However, I find this project hard to categorize and explain to others: it’s close to speculative design but not to the point that it’s close to design fiction. It also had elements of strategy sprinkled through, mostly towards the end when we had to close the loop and link to current CCI's projects.
Although I was a bit worried at the start that this project would be very GSA service design-focused, a type of design that isn’t my thing, I was happy to find my way and overcome this bias. For me, discovering that Social Design was touching upon a variety of skills (and that I could implement illustrations for example) constituted a shift in my perspective. This is something I could see myself doing, but in a physical, and practical approach rather than speculative one.
Conclusion
Learning Experience
Overall, this has been an insightful project. I can see that project being a great experience to refer to for my future practice as a designer: it taught me how to navigate the demands and expectations of a partner, whilst finding my place within a ‘design team’, and discuss with people of varying opinions and backgrounds. It also made me feel more confident in my role while researching and speaking with people and experts.
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