Priorities and Planning
Asynchronous Session
Community-centred Design for Social Innovation: Bottom-up and Government Initiatives in Shanghai View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Aoni Zhang, Inês Veiga, Antonio Gorgel Pinto
This paper reports on the findings of a Delphi survey to provide a promising framework for China’s community-centred design for social innovation. The survey was conducted in the scope of doctoral research, which studies bottom-up and top-down approaches to achieving long-term sustainability and building a better future in Chinese local communities. The research draws on three case studies in Chinese territory and respective participatory design processes: the Xixi Garden and Shanghai Playscape in Shanghai and the Community Museum in Xiazhu Village, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province. The research has produced both qualitative and quantitative data, and by using the Delphi technique, a panel of experts of Chinese and European Professors and Designers reached a consensus about priorities for developing China’s community-centred design for social innovation. This paper presents the findings and examines the experts' consensus that participatory methodologies and processes are crucial in bottom-up and government initiatives. They rethink the traditional top-down models while giving the bottom-up the right to speak and make decisions, enabling spontaneous participation in activities to achieve sustainable development interventions. It can provide an equal communication platform for in-depth communication between top-down and government initiatives to build a better future. This could be considered detailed guidelines and recommendations to improve the future of China’s bottom-up and top-down approaches in social innovation and design.
Navigating User Experience for the Repatriation Movement: An Interface for Decolonization and Reconstruction of Museum Spaces View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anika Sarin
With the movement to repatriate stolen art from South and Southeast Asian countries, museums in the United States are beginning to return artifacts and sacred objects to the country of origin. The app interface with its easy navigation and concise information architecture serves as a discourse on the colonial histories of museums with a focus on decolonizing and reconstructing museum spaces through increased repatriation efforts. Central features of the app including educating the public on the current location, context, and histories of the artifacts and archiving a collection of resources on published work. The app users experience guided rituals and performances meant to be used by ethnic groups in museum spaces as a way to pay respects to the scared sculptures and to redefine the otherwise restricted interactions in museums. The app interface leads users to a safe pathway for sharing information on undiscovered looted objects, especially the stolen artifacts in private collections. A user friendly interface assists with interactions and conversations around the use of culture as aesthetic through the commodification and exploitation of religious objects. The app initially designed for the ‘Return Home’ exhibition on stolen Cambodian Khmer Buddha statue heads by Phung Huynh, serves as a model for UI/UX Design focused on facilitating collective action and building an online archive for repatriation efforts.
Exploring the Distribution of Design Capabilities: A Case of Italian Local Governments View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Luca Baldini, Sonia Belhaj, Angela Giambattista
From health services to climate change policies, design professionals are increasingly engaged by central governments to drive transformation and innovation in the public sector, as evidenced in countries like the UK, Australia, and the USA. While a similar pattern has emerged within public administration in Italy, it remains fragmented and poorly understood, especially at the local level. This research employs a mixed-method approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative data to analyze the presence and capabilities of designers and design-trained professionals within Italian local government. The study integrates a survey distributed to key representatives across more than 7,000 municipalities, mapping and assessing designers and design-trained professionals diffusion and expertise offered, required, and needed. The anticipated outcomes of this research include the creation of a comprehensive map and capabilities assessment of design professionals within the most granular level of public administrations (e.g. municipalities), while simultaneously establishing an initial database to support the development of a grassroots network for designers and professionals in the field. The study informs targeted recruitment strategies for public administrations. It further contributes to additional insights in the evolving field of design for the public sector, ultimately addressing the persisting challenges in achieving widespread recognition and implementation in this endeavour. Future research should focus on addressing the identified gaps and exploring the potential of design as a transformative catalyst for the multifaceted challenges faced by local governments.
Optimizing the Spatial Experience of Public Restrooms in India: A Study on Urban Public Spaces Exclusively for Women Working in Outdoor Occupations View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Vardhini Murari
Public restrooms in India are poorly designed, unsanitary, and unsafe, especially for women who work outside. The functional and spatial requirements of restrooms for women employed in street selling, sanitation, and construction are examined in this research. Through primary research, including site analysis and user surveys, the paper identifies serious shortcomings in the present infrastructure. Nirama is a cutting-edge design concept that creates a hygienic and secure atmosphere by fusing rest places with sanitation. In order to enhance functionality while maintaining cultural sensitivity, the research places a strong emphasis on material choices, ergonomics, and accessibility. The final design offers a sustainable, approachable form that may be applied in urban residential settings. Additionally, an implementation plan is included in the paper, which examines potential partnerships with NGOs and municipal corporations for developing this restroom design.
