DESIGN IN A TIME OF GLOBAL CRISIS
During this time of global crisis induced by the COVID pandemic, design can play an important role in helping underserved communities facing urgent challenges in health, employment, food security and social stability. We’re privileged to be working with a diverse set of donors, partners and clients who are eager to make a difference. We’re designing communications and information services, piloting delivery of critical products and services to those who need them most, studying the impact of new government policies, and researching emergent behaviors that can inspire new approaches to this unprecedented challenge. Please reach out to learn more and explore ways to work together.
We’ve also developed toolkits for remote research and design, remote creative facilitation and integrating HCD with behavioral science, which are critical approaches during these times. Download our primers here:
Download our remote research and design primer.
Download our remote creative facilitation primer.
Download our HCD and behavioral science integration primer.
MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE
Over the last 6 years, we’ve worked with a broad range of people, communities, and organizations. During that time we have been fortunate to work consistently with a core group of communities from around the world and develop a deeper understanding of their lives, challenges and opportunities.
Smallholder Farmers
There are an estimated 500 million smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries. Smallholder farmers are underserved by critical services, which contributes to low farm productivity and other challenges. Learn more...
Expecting Mothers
Expecting mothers struggle with access to quality information and care for their newborns. This contributes to a high number of infant deaths worldwide - as many as 2.8 million in 2013 - within the first 28 days of life. Learn more...
Small-Scale Fisherfolk
Ocean fisheries are in crisis. Nearly 40% of fisheries have collapsed or are overexploited, risking the livelihoods of 350 million people, the food security of nearly 3 billion, and pressuring countless species in the world’s most bio-diverse waters. Learn more...
Underemployed Youth
Underemployed youth are spirited and hopeful, but discouraged and frustrated by the lack of formal job opportunities. This puts significant social, economic and emotional pressure on the millions of youth that enter the workforce each year. Learn more...
We work with people and organizations across a wide range of sectors:
Global Health | Financial Inclusion | ICT & Mobile for Development | Agriculture & Food Security | Sustainable Fisheries | Employment & Education | Gender Empowerment | Cities & Urban Development | Humanitarian Assistance | Energy Access | Environment | Water & Sanitation
AN INSIGHTS-FIRST APPROACH
We practice Human-Centered Design (HCD), and more…
HCD is an interdisciplinary research, design, and creative facilitation methodology that engages stakeholders across an ecosystem. It provides a process and tools that help them to understand, design and implement solutions to their challenges and cultivate new opportunities. We use HCD to help people design products, services, programs, policies and strategies for positive social impact.
We bring together creative problem-solvers from a diverse set of backgrounds, including various design disciplines, qualitative research, behavioral science, human rights, and international development. Learn more...
BUILDING A GLOBALLY DIVERSE TALENT BASE
We have design studios in Dakar, London, Mumbai, Nairobi and New York. Our teams have worked with communities in 43 countries on 200+ projects since 2014.
