This workshop is brought to you by the Innovation in Not-for-profit (INFP) meetup series, offered through the Design & Ethics series.
As designers and innovators working in the not-for-profit sector, we are routinely responsible for projects that have significant impact on the lives of people and communities. Our work is inescapably intertwined with power as we seek to influence change for individuals, groups and communities experiencing ‘disadvantage’. With the growing appeal of human-centred design and similar frameworks in not-for-profit organisations, there’s an increasing need to ensure that such power contributes positively to change and positively influences outcomes for those we serve.
So where do we start?
This interactive and self-reflective session creates a safe space for not-for- profit designers to challenge their own understandings of power and build awareness of their individual ability to influence those for our clients.
- How do we make our individual power visible through self-reflection and shared learning?
- What happens when we ignore or deny the inherent power dynamics of our work?
- How can we grow our ‘power literacy’ in order to develop more ethical human-centred design practices?
Participants will hear stories from guest speakers from across the social sector and reflect on their own experiences of power dynamics within not-for-profit organisations.
We promote the respectful, non-judgemental and open exploration of the topic of power imbalances in our work – please come prepared to play and share.
Suggested article: Social Design and Neocolonialism by Cinnamon L. Janzer and Lauren S. Weinstein
Tags: Design and Ethics Series, not-for-profit
