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Design for Good: collaborative innovation in human-centered design

A short piece on collaborative, human centered design at a WaterStarters site, and what a design process actually looks like in the field.

01 September 2023 Kajiado County WaterStarters and partners

Listening changes the layout.

A group of designers spent time on site with the community. The layout we had drawn on paper looked sensible. The women who fetch water most days had a different view.

The kiosk location moved. The queue geometry changed. A small awning was added, because sunburn in the middle of the day is real, and because the wait can be long during the peak morning slot.

What we took away.

  • Draw the layout with the community, not for them.
  • Ask the people who actually do the fetching, not only the people who chair the meetings.
  • Prepay tags and metering are important, but so is where the shade falls.

More stories from the field.