2. Articulating the needs
To really understand what a challenge is about it is important to refine the challenge, to find out where the impact should land and what the target audience really needs. This means digging in and empathising with the target group to get the answers you need to create a good challenge. Bear in mind that the challenge should be neither too narrow nor too broad. Too narrow a challenge will not leave enough room for creative solutions. And a broad challenge won’t give you any idea where to start.
Tips
- Involve the target group themselves in refining the challenge.
- Go to the target group, organise something in their immediate environment.
- Don't make the group too large.
- Use understandable language.
- Prevent professionals from being in the majority.
- Enlist the help of a social designer or social design students.
- Make sure that someone the target group trusts is present (key people or social organisations).
- Use accessible, understandable and visual methods.
Research Methods to scope the challenges
The following methods can be used if the challenge is still too broad. These methods can be carried out with the social organisation and/or with a few people from the target group. They are intended as a first step, before delving deeper into the situation of the target group.
The Frame Your Design Challenge worksheet will help you determine the right framework for the challenge. Through a series of steps, it shows the impact and also takes into account the context and constraints of the challenge. A well framed challenge allows for a variety of solutions.[1]
This method helps you to think carefully about the impact you want to calculate with the challenge. It allows you to distinguish between long-term and short-term goals. The most immediate impact will generally become the focus of the design[1].
Mapping the ecosystem around your target audience gives you a better sense of the community they live in, the organisations and networks that are important to them and the political system that influences their lives[1].
The guide to project scoping guide offers five elements to frame a challenge. This encourages you to think about the stakeholders, the context the goal and the crux. The templates leave enough room to explore the challenge further and add new information in collaboration with the target group[1].
[1] Institute of design at Stanford – Design Project Scoping Guide
This method helps to get the challenge clear as participants indicate which issue they think is important to tackle. To get the participants on the same page, their preferences are discussed[1].
Co-creation methods for understanding the target group
Bodystorming is a method for researchers and designers to understand what it is like to be in the user's shoes. Bodystorming combines role-playing and simulation and takes place in the target group's environment. This creates empathy for the users. The designers or researchers can observe the users and participate in the bodystorming session[1].
In creating an empathy timeline, participants are creatively engaged in unravelling the challenge. In this way, they become aware of their own experiences and viewpoints. These experiences and views can be used to sharpen the challenge and really understand what the issue is about[1].
Making a collage allows participants to stick images and words on a piece of paper that express personal experiences and feelings. This makes it easier to start a conversation about sensitive topics[1].
The Problem Framing canvas ensures that everyone can participate equally in defining the challenge and determining the scope. If the canvas is still too difficult to fill in at first, the link to the canvas contains a number of suggestions for first formulating different sub-problems within the challenge and getting an idea of the target groups.[1]