AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS
project
In Fall 2017, I was one of two students selected to conduct a research project as part of an initiative by Erin Huizenga, co-founder of Borough and Block, for AIGA. The aim was to develop a best practices guidebook for conducting social good work within both for-profit and not-for-profit design firms.
We set out to find what social good work firms were doing, their motivations for doing this work, and how they determine the work to be impactful.
my role
• Conducting interviews with designers from 16 companies including Doblin, Fjord and Leo Burnett.
• Pulling out insights for best practices for social good work from a significant data set.
• Creating a flow chart for both start ups and established companies to consider different methods of doing social good work.
• Presenting study, proposal and next steps at AIGA board meeting.
Our interviewees visually represent the social good done at their organizations
design methods
Qualitative interviews with 16 designers to understand their viewpoint of social good work at their respective firms.
Using visual representation as a tool during interviews to elicit intangible ideologies.
Insights and flowchart
insights
We uncovered 3 distinct styles of doing social good work. Companies either:
Actively promote social good work
Don’t actively promote social good work
Have a dedicated arm for social good work
If not planned well and with dedication, people may find social good work to simply be a buzz word.
Certain companies have social good work built into their business models, and some do it outside of their day to day business activities.
outcome
From our interviews and data set of audio and video recordings of design companies of various sizes and influence, we created a flowchart for designers and design companies to analyze or rethink the way in which they practice social good.
The flowchart is also a learning tool aimed at start ups or young companies who are looking to dedicate time and effort to social good but are unsure how it may fit into their business model. Next steps involve hiring a writer to professionally collate our data and publish the AIGA Design for Good guidebook.