Design Portfolio DARCY KEESTER
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MY APPROACH
MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGNER With a background in a long list of design (and non-design) disciplines, including Environmental Design, Social Innovation, Applied Mathematics, Communication Design, Strategic Planning, and Community Engagement, I work across the boundaries of disciplines to understand a challenge in all of its complexity. Rather than limiting my interventions to one format, I work in guiding communities and organizations to systemic change.
RESEARCH & STRATEGY Creating any intervention first requires deep listening, complex problem framing, and tailored research. I practice many forms of design-led research that apply contextually to different challenges; community based participatory research, action research, humancentered design methodologies, and systems thinking approaches are all practices which I use to get to the root of a challenge. These steps are crucial to designing outcomes which are not only plausible, but truly impactful and sustainable as well.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT I believe in the power of collaboration. My focus lies in engaging the experts of a challenge to work collaboratively in creating change through truly participatory design and research processes. I work hard to build relationships of trust amongst project partners in order to ensure outcomes that are both needed and wanted.
CREATIVE MATHEMATICIAN Understanding how to analyze and interpret data is key in today’s world. Having a background in applied mathematics, I find myself using these complex concepts within my design and research work often whether it is in understanding how stormwater management techniques will affect a neighborhood or in analyzing the qualitative data from the in-depth interviews of veteran students. Having a creative mathematical mind means that I can not only visualize the systems at play, but also communicate those systems to others.
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LOST IN TRANSITION Re-imagining Veteran Support Services CONTEXT In the Fall of 2019, the Transdisciplinary Design studio entitled Beyond Health: Designing for Care focused on the challenges facing veterans. Rather than designing from a silo, my team chose to engage those most intimately involved in the system.
CHALLENGE Collaborate with the Veteran Support Services Office at CityTech to understand the challenges faced by student veterans during their transition experience. Use co-design practices to frame problems and generate ways forward.
DESIGN RESEARCH PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
In-depth Interviews, Creating Personas Mapping: Services, Journeys, and Ecosystem Co-design Activities with VSS Staff and Students Prototype Research Report + Recommendations
DETAILS Partners: Veteran Support Services Office (VSS) at New York City College of Technology (CityTech) Team: Robert Timmins (VSS Director), Arabia Goodman (VSS Counselor), Kate Czajkowski (VSS Counselor), Christina Blount (Veteran Student and VSS Administrator), Ayushi Jain (Student), Yipiao Geng (Student), Yilin Wang (Student) Location: Brooklyn, New York
ROLE Facilitator: facilitating research and co-design workshops with the VSS team, educating the group on design-led research methodologies Design Researcher: Designing strategies for co-design with the VSS team, conducting in-depth interviews with student veterans, building prototypes Service Designer: Mapping services within the VSS system, identifying capacities and gaps within the service ecosystem
OUTCOME In the end, our team developed three scrappy prototypes to promote discussion with the VSS team. We wrote a research report detailing the challenges we collectively identified and a list of potential ways forward and most importantly, we built a relationship with the veteran support community at CityTech that will hopefully lead to further collaboration.
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Using co-design to build capacity for students transitioning from life in the military
A participatory design activity, called Future Posters, purpose built for our collaboration with CityTech
STUDENT VETERAN
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PERSONAS
Noah is currently in the Air Force and undergoing the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) “Some of the information seems like it is something we won’t need for a long time, and I feel like when I finally need it years from now, I won’t remember it.”
Michelle is a Veteran currently attending medical school “I chose to go into medicine because it gives me a strong sense of purpose, which I know is something my fellow veterans struggle with after leaving the military.”
Charlie is an active servicemember who is also attending college “I get called to duty sometimes with very little warning, and some of my professors don’t really understand how difficult it is to catch up.”
VETERAN SUPPORT SERVICES OFFICE
HUMAN INTERACTIONS
Initial PreCounseling
Application Financial Aid ¨ äĢäƈőʼn Forms Forms Process
Teacher Training
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Student Email Check-in Accounts Mailed Event Mailchimp Emails Acceptance Flyers Newsletters Letter Counseling Calendar Orientation Blackboard Appointments Email Deadline Invitation Interface Reminders
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Veteran Support Services at CityTech
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ECOSYTEM MAP A visualization of the ecosystem within ūĂĆÚĂ őĂä ¨ gƆÚä Ćʼn ʼnĆőŖÁőäà͠ ű ġÁłłĆĢú the relationships between the students, the ʼnÚĂĩĩě͡ ÁĢà ĩŖőʼnĆàä äƅäÚőʼn͡ ūä ÙäúĆĢ őĩ ʼnŖĢàäŅʼnőÁĢà Ăĩū őĂä ʼnűʼnőäġ Ćʼn ĆĢƉŖäĢÚäà͠
Limited Funding
CityTech
CityTech Foundation Online Fundraising
Barriers Limited Physical Space Physical Domain
Limited őÁƆĢú Graduate Social Work Intern through Hunter College Work Study Students
CUNY Budget Allotment
Special Events Internship Opportunities
Dept of Veteran ƅÁĆŅʼn ĩěĆÚĆäʼn
Resource Providers
Tabling
Veteran Support Services gƆÚä
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VSS Coordinator
CUNY Policies
Graduate Social Work Intern through Hunter College Digital Domain
Other colleges
Alternative Community Programs
College Systems and Points of Contact
Community VA Work Study Partners Internship Program US Political Divide
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Traditional Veteran Service Organizations
Student Veterans
Competitors and Alternatives
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Dept of Defense Policies
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Military-Civilian Divide
Current Service Member Students
American Legion
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Brooklyn Vet Center Admissions gƆÚä Professional Development Center
Veteran Health Administration ¨äőäŅÁĢ äĢäƈőʼn Administration
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Bystanders
Military Academic Advising
CUNY äĢőŅÁě gƆÚä
DOD Service Branches
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UPCYCLE VANCOUVER A Social and Environmental Impact Project CONTEXT Working with the Vancouver Economic Commission, we aimed to help progress research towards achieving Vancouver’s Zero Waste goal by working in the area of re-use and upcycling materials using a grassroots, community-based approach.
CHALLENGE Connect and engage community members in the business of zero waste to collectively find ways forward. Showcase upcycled design possibilities to the public, realizing that zero waste is a social issue as much as it is environmental.
STRATEGIC DESIGN PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4.
Relationship & Community Building - Bringing Everyone to the Table Understanding Common Barriers and Goals Community Engagement Events - Participatory Design Exercises Community Build of Parklet
DETAILS Partners: Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC), Mount Pleasant Neighborhood House (MPNH), Projects in Place Society (PiPS) Team: Pietra Basilij (VEC), Jocelyne Hamel (Director, MPNH), Imelda Nurwisah (Coordinator, PiPS), Lukas Holy (Landscape Architect), Travis Hanks (Architect) Location: Vancouver, BC
ROLE Facilitator: facilitating community engagement events including participatory design practices with the diverse community of the MPNH for the parklet Design Strategist: developing a strategic plan that defined goals and implementation strategies, and then executing and adapting that plan in practice Community Development: building relationships between stakeholders involved in the zero waste space to unite and further our goals together
OUTCOME While the community build of Vancouver’s first non-profit owned and operated parklet was the physical result of this project, which involved collaborating with vulnerable members of the community including seniors, refugees, youth, indigenous peoples, and people experiencing homelessness, to ensure the usefulness of the parklet, the real outcome involved the future collaborations spurred. This project resulted in, among others, the integration of upcycling in design curriculums and the development of a new City of Vancouver standard for permitting and supporting similar non-profit public space development efforts.
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Taking a grassroots approach to furthering Vancouver’s Zero Waste Goals through Participatory Design practice
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material collectors
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A diagram showing the network built up during the community development stage of the project
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DESIGN BUILD RESEARCH TedxVancouver Conference Pavilion CHALLENGE Design an experimental form for a new pavilion using LVL in a new and innovative way in order to advance the field of wood technology.
DESIGN BUILD RESEARCH PROCESS 1. Research and test uses for LVL through conceptualizing and prototyping 2. Planning for final design implementation 3. Prefabricate parts and conduct test fittings 4. Install pavilion on-site
DETAILS Partners: Michael Green Architecture + DBR School Team: Michael Green Architecture team + Student Team from multiple universities Location: Vancouver, BC
ROLE Design Researcher: : testing various methods for using LVL, researching fabrication methodology Environmental Designer: conceptualizing forms that invoke warmth in winter, 3d modeling, fabrication
OUTCOME Over the course of three months, the team researched and prototyped forms, designed and built two pavilions using pre-fab methodologies and constructed them on-site at the Vancouver Convention Center.
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While researching the possibilities of Laminated Veneer Lumber, we explored wood innovation, technical fabrication, and sustainable solutions to design a winter pavilion.
The finished pavilions during the Tedxvancouver conference weekend
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THE SECRET SHARE Community Design: Fostering Social Connections CHALLENGE Foster relationships among community members in the Riley Park neighborhood in order to build up social infrastructure.
DESIGN BUILD RESEARCH PROCESS 1. Set up a physical platform for anonymously sharing secrets 2. Compile pot-cards and display them outside the fieldhouse 3. Create conversations with community members
DETAILS Partners: Neighborhood Small Grants Team: Selina Pechlaner, Rebecca Holgate Location: Vancouver, BC
ROLE Designer: Collaborating with team to come up with a concept to be built and tested outside the communal fieldhouse Researcher: collecting ethnographic data through observation, informal interviews, and participation metrics to iterate on concept
OUTCOME What started as a small, fun community project aimed at helping neighbors start conversations and build relationships, became an ethnographic research study on human behavior and social infrastructure. After collecting data, we used synthesis to iterate on our design and come up with a new concept to be tested.
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A grassroots, community project aimed at creating and furthering social connections amongst neighbors
Display of secret post-cards submitted by random community members and passers-by
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EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION Designing Interactive Exhibits to Educate Youth CONTEXT Working as a technical designer at a design-build company, I worked with a number of museums and cultural institutions to create interactive exhibits meant to educate youth on subjects ranging from ancient biology to contemporary environmental issues to city design.
CHALLENGE Of primary importance is usability for all youth, including those with disabilities. Exhibits additionally must be inviting, interactive, and built to withstand creative abuse from the public.
DESIGN RESEARCH PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Observation: what ways to people find to abuse public goods? Ergonomics: how can this function for youth of a target age? Accessibility: how can this be accessible to youth with disabilities? Prototype: how does the idea function in real time? Follow Up Research: how does the final design work in context?
DETAILS Partners: Various Cultural Institutions Team: Three Dimensional Services Location: Global
ROLE Human-centered Designer: working with ergonomic principles and testing prototypes with users Design Researcher: observing human behavior and following up on as-built design to understand functionality in context and make adjustments as needed Project Management: coordinating design, fabrication, installation, and client teams to successfully prototype and install exhibits
OUTCOME Throughout my time in this role, I worked on countless exhibits all over the world and learned a lot of skills in the realm of human-centered design. Exhibits I designed are in world-class science museums, like the Smithsonian, public spaces, and cultural institutions, like the Vancouver Aquarium. This role gave me a chance to dive deeply into the ergonomics and behavioral science of youth, principles of accessibility, and left me with a working knowledge of alternative education practices.
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Using human-centered design methods to engage youth in science education
A finished exhibit about the history of shipping being interacted with by a young child
(This page) This exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium featured an exploration of the plastics in our oceans. Conceptual Design and Photographs by the Vancouver Aquarium. (Facing page) A series of interactive activity tables at the Frost Museum of Science, Conceptual design done by RAA.
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WORKS IN PROGRESS C OM M UNI T Y M EN T A L HEA LT H
W HAT DO ES F AI R LO OK L IKE?
Amp l if y ing t he E ffec t i ven ess o f Me n ta l He a lt h S erv i c es i n New York P u bl ic L ib r ari es
Us ing s p ecu lative d es ign stra te gy to exp lore what makes a tru ly fa i r economic s ys tem
Working with a team of design and psychology students, we are partnering with ThriveNYC to explore the mental health programs that they offer with the New York Public Libraries. Using humancentered design research strategies, we are working to surface unique perspectives that will help amplify their existing programming while ensuring that it stays accessible and inclusive.
Using strategies from speculative design, we are probing people to find out what they consider truly fair in a future economic system by designing products that actually function. Is it fair if everyone has the same shot at something, even if it is completely random? Or is it fair if we consider individual socioeconomic status through data collection when determining the cost of goods?
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MI GRAT I ON + C L IM A T E C R IS IS
PLAYI N G WI T H VALU E
A c a s e stu d y ex p lo ri ng how c l i mat e cha nge a n d re s ul t i ng mi grat i o n might impact the island of Maui
Us ing ethnogr ap h ic res earch a n d game d es ign theor ies to d eter m i n e what valu e means in ou r s ocie ty
Climate change is affecting urban life and human migration patterns, albeit by proxy. This research explores the ontology of migration to Maui and considers how the island will fare with the coming changes in climate. How might public officials and planners on Maui plan for this future? How might they ensure public and social infrastructure is ready for the changes ahead?
With the popular party supply chain, Party City, as a site, we have conducted ethnographic research on the idea of value in our society. Together with an interdisciplinary team, we are using play to look more deeply into what people value. Phase 1 including systems mapping and prototyping a game. Phase 2 will involve work with a museum in Denmark.