PERKINS EASTMAN | DESIGN STRATEGY
PUTTING OUR PE OPLE FIRST
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
- Margaret J. Wheatley
Why does community engagement matter?
GOOD FOR THE PROJECT
Improves quality of design
Improves public image & builds trust
Uncovers “hidden assets”
Provides a deeper understanding of the project’s context and constraints
GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY
Fosters engagement
Helps to prevent future conflicts
Supports community relationships
Creates a sense of investment & ownership
Aligns project design with end user needs
UNDERSTAND THE TEAM ESTABLISH CONTEXT ENGAGE COMMUNITY UPHOLD INTENT 1 2 3 our process starts with: 4
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Engagement Rubric
Establish Context
CONTEXT
LOCATION
How might the surrounding community be impacted directly or indirectly by this project?
Are there opportunities to uplift the community through this project?
COMMUNITY MEMBER PERSONAS
ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOK
Use the following three questions to create a diverse set of “user personas” that are representative of the community:
What are their defining characteristics (age, background, socioeconomic status, and education level, etc.)?
What issues and challenges are they currently facing? What are their primary concerns?
What are their motivations, interests, and desires?
CHALLENGES
DISRUPTIONS
What environmental impacts will this project have on the community?
Are there prevalent health disparities within the local community that are impacted by the environment?
How can your project contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future?
CURRENT EVENTS
How might current events affect or compromise our work on this project? Can they be mitigated through discussion and/or compromise?
What is the nature of the past and current relationship between the client and the surrounding community? What are the potential challenges and opportunities?
Has the community and/or the client experienced recent disruption that may influence the project? Are there any potential threats or disturbances on the horizon? Can you identify potential future disruptions that the community/client may face?
OPPORTUNITIES
WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY MISSING?
How might the needs of the community evolve over time, and how can our project address those potential changes? How can we help the client to maintain a positive long-term relationship with the community? Are all community voices being represented? How can we better engage community members who are not directly participating in the process? How can the community be represented in the project?
“80% of business leaders said their teams were more aligned and focused, and 37% cited higher employee productivity through design thinking.”
Design
thinking can deliver
an ROI of 85% or greater.
- As measured by Forrester’s Total Economic Impact (TEI) model
IBM’s Design Thinking practice helped projects cut design defects in half, saving $77k - $153k per project.
Participatory design produces more innovative solutions, empowers stakeholders, and achieves an outcome that is better aligned with the needs of the user.
