ESR 173 Lab 7: Empathy-based Design - with Hydroviv
Activity
Purpose:
Engage in human-centered design process and applications of “ways of knowing” through an Entrepreneurial lens
applied more broadly as empathy-centered design for both humans & the environment
Apply knowledge of pollutants to real-world solutions
Develop an understanding of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals associated with water
Background:
Human-centered design process
What is Human Centered Design? - IDEO
Health Science
Share With
ESR 173 Lab 7: Empathy-based Design - with Hydroviv
Activity
Purpose:
Engage in human-centered design process and applications of “ways of knowing” through an Entrepreneurial lens
applied more broadly as empathy-centered design for both humans & the environment
Apply knowledge of pollutants to real-world solutions
Develop an understanding of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals associated with water
Human-centered design is a creative approach to problem solving and the backbone of our work at IDEO.org. It’s a process that starts with the people you’re designing for and ends with new solutions that are tailor made to suit their needs. Human-centered design is all about building a deep empathy with the people you’re designing for; generating tons of ideas; building a bunch of prototypes; sharing what you’ve made with the people you’re designing for; and eventually putting your innovative new solution out in the world.
Human-centered design consists of three phases. In the Inspiration Phase you’ll learn directly from the people you’re designing for as you immerse yourself in their lives and come to deeply understand their needs. In the Ideation Phase you’ll make sense of what you learned, identify opportunities for design, and prototype possible solutions. And in the Implementation Phase you’ll bring your solution to life, and eventually, to market. And you’ll know that your solution will be a success because you’ve kept the very people you’re looking to serve at the heart of the process.
In many ways, this approach to design allows for space to examine motivations for product design, and ways that entrepreneurs can address real global challenges through the lens of benefiting all communities and those impacted by the disruption of natural cycles.
Follow the included links to see what questions Dr. Eric Roy, founder of Hydroviv was presented, and his responses (recording from a previous term). Make special note of responses associated with Entrepreneurship and the role of business in designing solutions to real-world problems.
For this lab, you’ll be reflecting on issues, and designing solutions, associated with groundwater contamination by salt water & pesticides in Hawai’i. Use the following links as reference material for your exploration; optional supplemental materials can be found in a subfolder in the Week 7 Lab folder.
Review all Background information provided in this lab, including the Q&A video provided by Dr. Eric Roy of Hydroviv.
Complete this activity packet which includes reflection questions, and a human-centered design activity requiring you to develop and illustrate or construct a prototype using materials available to you (15 points for “Activity”)
NOTE: You have the option of working with a partner from class; the same packet can be submitted by both individuals for full credit.
Participate in the Lab 7 Reflections discussion board (10 points for “Reflections”)
NOTE: Additional specific instructions provided in packet for activities and reflections.
Formatting Tip: How to select what option you want within Google Doc
Left-click one time on a checkbox, which will select the entire group of checkboxes.
Now left-click one more time on the same checkbox, which will now just select the single checkbox you have clicked on.
Now right-click on the same checkbox.
This will pop up a window where you can choose a new bullet to replace the checkbox.
Choose the checkmark icon.
The empty checkbox will now be replaced with a checkbox, indicating the item has been selected
Tips for completing this lab:
Take time to read through the materials, and write down notes along the way to support your design process. There’s a lot of information here to help inform your process; start with links in this document, and if you need more inspiration check out the supplemental materials in the Lab folder.
When creating your prototype or solution, think creatively about how to communicate it! Use materials you have around you to make a prototype that gives you a more hands-on experience for the lab. In-person, we would be crafting mock-ups of products and sharing out as a class, which has great value. Here are some examples of products or solutions developed in another remote class for this lab with items they had available:
(Left) Water bottle design for reducing plastic waste; (Right) Portable amp for educational events about water usage that can take place in local community centers/parks
Questions & Reflections:
Are you working with a partner for this lab?
Yes
No
If Yes, please include the following information:
Partner’s Name: ________________________
Mechanism used to collaborate (i.e. email, call, etc.)_______________________
Work on a single document together; each person should submit a copy, and you should not have to each fill a separate document out.
Inspiration Phase
General issues with Hawai’ian groundwater
(1 point) After reviewing the document, Case Study: Hawaii Groundwater Vulnerability, develop a general “problem statement” or issue to resolve associated contamination of Hawai’i groundwater through an Entrepreneurial lens.
Hint: Problem statements can be in the form:
[Specific factor] is impacting [a given population] through [action or inaction]
(1 point) What type of issue are you addressing in your problem statement (Select one):
Pollutant(s) direct impact on human health
Pollutant(s) direct impact on environmental health
Policy or Practice that does not represent impacted population
Lack of government oversight or policy
Other (Please specify): _______________________________________
(1 point) In your own words, explain what the problem is in greater detail. Use at least one example from the reading to support your claim.
(1 point) What was your motivation for identifying your problem statement, or what about your problem statement most resonated with you personally?
Sumida Farms case study
(2 points) Explore the NSF-funded project ‘Ike Wai’s Water Stewardship in Pu?uloa, O?ahu, a visual storytelling of Oahu’s groundwater includes stories translated from Native Hawai’ian. From this information, develop an empathy-based “problem statement” or issue to resolve for Sumida Farms through an Entrepreneurial lens.
Sumida Farms is your client for this thought exercise.
Hint: Problem statements can be in the form:
[Specific factor] is impacting [a given population] through [action or inaction]
(1 point) What surprised you, if anything, about what you learned from the translated Native Hawai’ian stories? What insights did you gain?
(1 point) In what ways do these ideas differ from what you discovered in the “General issues” exercise above, and in what ways are they aligned? Specifically consider the lens through which water is perceived.
Ideation Phase
(1 point) Based on your Sumida Farms problem statement, and considering what you have read so far, take 3-5 minutes to jot down some ideas in terms of possible solutions to the issue.
This is an opportunity for you to get some ideas on paper; anything that comes to mind! Is your solution a new policy? A product? A new technique for measuring pollutants? A new communication tool for educating people about these issues? Think big and bold!
(2 points) Review information provided regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In what ways, if any, does your solution address human water needs (Goal 6, 10)? In what ways, if any, does it address environmental needs (Goal 14)? What are the parallels between human and environmental needs, if any?
(1 point) Take no more than 2-3 minutes to draw or write out at least three (3) radical ideas about how to execute your solution (attach any images below)
Your notes:
Partner notes (if applicable):
Implementation Phase
(2 points) From your ideas, select one (1) that you want to explore further. In the space below or as a separate attachment to your assignment, provide a more detailed explanation of your solution, through drawings, attached images, or a written description.
(1 point) How did prototyping and exploring “iterative” or alternative designs contribute to your process?
For Lab 7 Reflection Discussion, you’ll be sharing out your final solution or product to the class and discussing ways, if any, this process informed your understanding of the role of private industry in addressing water pollution.
