Social Innovation: Design Thinking

From the book How to Change the World by David Bornstein I read the chapter titled “What Sort of Mother are You?”  This is an inspiring story of a mother of a highly disabled son who made a profound difference in Hungary for people with disabilities.  The roadblocks that she encountered included communist laws that prevented wholesale manufacturing by private companies, so work that she was able to secure for her people was illegal, and also culture, society and government that deemed disabled people as “less than,” and therefore unworthy of time, attention, and opportunity but rather resorted to institutionalization.   Erzsebet Szekeres couldn’t care for her son, but also couldn’t submit him to life in an institute that are known for tragic mental and physical abuse.  She worked for many years to provide opportunities for people with disabilities as well as those with a capacity for patience and understanding to work with them- to create a cooperative and collaborative organization where both the residents and the helpers could thrive. 

Ezsrebet employed the aspects of design thinking – in that she was very empathetic to the cause.  While it took time and different attempts to define and ideate opportunities that she would be able to replicate, by employing her own strengths and skills as well as capitalizing on others’ as assets to her vision, she was able to prototype and execute, creating a healthy community where her clients and her employees, which are aptly called “helpers,” could be productive in society.   I admire Erzsebet Szekeres for her resilience!  I'm sure that she saw strengths and benefits with each group and learned things with the three previous groups that enabled the fourth to work.   While it was never right that people with mental and physical disabilities were treated like they were, in order to right the wrongs of history, we need to understand them (root cause!) and work to change them (social innovation!) 

In addressing social issues, a Human-Centered Design process is how you think and what you do with it… Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation. (www.designkit.org/)

Some things to keep in mind – from the Institute of Design at Stanford:

• ·         Show don’t tell
• ·         Focus on human values
• ·         Craft Clarity
• ·         Embrace Experimentation
• ·         Be Mindful of Process
• ·         Bias Toward Action
• ·         Radical Collaboration

D.Mindsets

Design thinking – which the steps include:
                Empathize

                                Define

                                                Ideate

                                                                Prototype

                                                                                Test

When we apply this methodology to our issue, we can create a roadmap that can guide us to doing good.... measurable good!  And having the measurements will help us be able to increase our good - by duplication, synthesis of information, and help us iterate bigger and better opportunities.