Design Innovation Research Group
Design Innovation Research Group (DIRG) led by Debra Satterfield, was formed in 2017 by a multidisciplinary group of faculty from the Department of Design which currently includes: Julie Hurley, Design; Lisa Krohn, Industrial Design; Karen Regoli-Arthur, Design; Jose Rivera-Chang, Industrial Design; David Teubner, Industrial Design; Debra Satterfield, BA in Design; Tom Tredway, Design History; and Wesley Woelfel, Industrial Design. DIRG has hosted numerous sprints and design thinking events on campus for students and the CSULB community. They have collaboratively conducted design thinking workshops in conjunction with the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and economic development workshops for the Riverside Community College District. They have published numerous papers on design thinking and user experience design in the Proceedings of the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE) conference in the Human Side of Service Engineering (HSSE) panel. They are currently researching innovative strategies for engaging stakeholders, enhancing user experiences in online environments, and methodologies for measuring and coding the mixed-method data collection in online events.
Debra Satterfield, Director of DIRG; Professor of Design and chair of the Design Department at California State University, Long Beach; has extensive research and publication in service design for social inclusion, design for behavioral change, and design for neurodiversity, equity, and accessibility. She is conducting research on “The Divergency Model,” a framework that identifies and evaluates the perceived risk versus conformity with regard to the relative similarity or difference between a member of the UX/AI target audiences from the culturally expected norm. She is also currently developing “The 12 Guiding Principles for Ethical and Responsible Practices in Inclusive UX and AI Research (E-UX/AI).” E-UX/AI is a set of protocols, strategies and tools that can be modified to accommodate persons with a wide variety of temporary or permanent disabling physical, psychological, social, emotional, intellectual or developmental conditions, as well as cultural divergences with regard to authentic inclusion in UXD and AI development.
Voices of Design: A Design Workshop for Community Building, Student Engagement and Academic Success
Voices of Design (VOD), a DIRG-sponsored event, is a 10-week series of events designed for the purpose of improving student success for at-risk and underrepresented students in a Design department with majors in experiential graphic design, Interior architecture, and industrial design. As a minority serving institution, it is ranked in the top 10% nationwide for return on investment. And of the students receiving degrees, 54% are the first in their family to receive a degree and 50% of the undergraduate students are eligible for Pell Grants. Approximately 85% of the students identify as non-white and 72% receive some form of financial aid with the average need-based scholarship award being $8,000.
Designing for Student Success
The VOD event was specifically designed to address the following questions:
1. “How might we use events to engage our early college students in community building activities?”
2. “How might we distribute art supplies to students who are financial insecure?”
3. “How might we provide food at our events to students who are experiencing food insecurity?”
4. “How might we engage our students in building authentic, affirming, and inclusive activities that build their confidence and networking skills?”
The VOD event comprises 3 evening lectures, 10 lunchtime activities/speakers, 2 class projects on identity and community, and a designer-in-residence program. The intent of VOD was to address the issues of building community, creating a safe space, food insecurity, financial concerns, and social concerns such as imposter complex by exposing design students to high impact practices including the VOD workshop series, classroom activities, and a collaborative mural painting week in the Design Department.
The workshop featured designers who have found their voices in design on personal, local, and global levels in their lives and careers. The goal of the event was to allow participants to discuss, explore, and identify their voices as designers and learn how to use their talents for the benefit of their lives and our shared communities. The VOD lectures and workshops were designed to help participants understand how design can be a vital change agent or catalyst for good in their lives and future careers. The goals of the workshop series were to:
• Build Trust in the Design Department Community
• Identify the department as a Safe Space for Creativity and Learning
• Create a Shared Community Identity
• Use Co-Creation of Public Art to physically embody our Commitment to DEI
The VOD lunchtime events (DESN Pros) were scheduled for one event per week. Because the university is primarily a commuter campus, the events were scheduled alternately on either a Tuesday or a Wednesday to give as many students as possible the chance to attend. Events immediately after an on campus morning class were best attended. Announcements were made in classes immediately before `the event and students were informed free food and art materials would be given to participants.
Our Accomplishments
The contribution to student success in our department is how this workshop concept can incorporate basic needs, human dignity, and community building into the academic curricula. The VOD events, lectures, and community building activities provided an excellent way to accomplish these goals. In this paper, we will discuss:
• Reaching 189 students with average of 50+ students/event -total attendance 400+; • Distribution of needed art materials to students;
• Structuring lecture series topics, speakers, and activities for student engagement; • Identifying funding sources for sustainability of future events;
• Connecting students to the professional community; and
• EGD as a community building experience
THE VOD EVENTS
VOD - Evening Lecture Series Speakers: The VOD series featured evening presentations and discussions. These talks feature nationally recognized designers who have relevant messages for DEIA in the design profession such as:
• Jason Foster – Destination Crenshaw
• Nu Goteh – DEEM Journal, Room for Magic
• Thokozani Magena, Design Strategist and Professional Speaker
VOD – DESN Pros Workshop Engagement: Design Pros workshop series featured 10 lunchtime lectures and activities for goal setting, personal storytelling, mentorship, and professional network development. The topics were on subjects such as IKIGAI, Personal Storytelling, EGD, Lighting Design, and other professional topics in design.
VOD Designer in Residence Community Enrichment: Our designer in residence, Mer Young, visited classes and engaged our lower-division students in DESN Pros activities.
Meeting Student Needs Through Community Building
Students are constantly evolving in their needs and expectations. They have a deep set need to feel connected to their peers and their communities. Traditional teaching methods are less effective than in previous years and in many ways, this is due to the disconnect caused by a global pandemic and the latent fears instilled in our society. Students are seeking places where they can learn but also places where they can be seen and valued and feel safe. These specific issues of how to connect with students and help them grow in their authentic and affirming identities will be of great importance in higher education. The VOD workshop series has implications for how to reach students at a deeper level and engage them in meaningful personal, professional and academic ways, while at the same time discretely and respectfully connecting them with basic needs like food and educational materials for their classes.
Therefore, VOD 2024 lectures showcased highly accomplished designers from a variety of backgrounds as guest speakers who have found a significant personal and professional voice through their design careers. The goal was to find designers who could directly relate their own experiences to the experiences of our student population. In addition, these speakers directly serve the needs of diverse communities through their design work.
The lunch workshops served as a time of discussion and personal exploration about design. This was used to encourage participants to think about their own skills, passions, and gifts in new ways. It was designed to be a time to freely “try on a new identity” or “explore a new belief about yourself or your purpose.”
And in the final phase, students worked with our Designer-in-Residence to paint our community inspired mural.
