Spring 2013: DESIGN FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP _DeSE | PVD RISD Industrial Design Advanced Studio: Course Description

Instructor: Patricia Gruits Course Blog: www.RISDDeSE.blogspot.com _OVERVIEW In the past decade we have seen the rise of Social Entrepreneurship, a field that seeks to address pressing social issues such as poverty, health and environmental degradation with financially self-sustaining business models. However, it is only in the past few years that designers have gained recognition for the role they play in this field, using design techniques to tackle complex problems and creating new products and services that meet social needs. This course aims to cultivate designers for social entrepreneurship by examining the role of design in this field, identifying key methodologies and models of social entrepreneurship, and investigating the power of product, system and service design to create positive social and environmental change. This semester, as social entrepreneurial designers, students will use design and design thinking to address social and environmental issues prevalent in Providence and our surrounding communities. In partnership with Social Venture Partners Rhode Island (SVPRI), students will have the opportunity to work with a network of local non-profits and social ventures to examine different models of social enterprise and work to develop in-depth proposals for new or existing ventures that will benefit these organizations and our local community. The studio will be structured as a three-part exploration: _ DISCOVERY Students will work individually and as a studio to research and discuss the field of social entrepreneurship both on a global and local level. We will examine global precedents discussing existing definitions, methodologies and models of social entrepreneurship to build a foundational understanding of the field of entrepreneurship. _ FIELDWORK In this phase students, with the collaboration of SVPRI, will work individually or in teams to partner with a local non-profit or social venture .Through research, interviews and observation students will meet with user groups and program leaders to gather information building a case study catalog of these non-profits and ventures working in the Providence community. We will compare social issues, models of entrepreneurship, needs of the organization and its user groups. We will discuss and conceptualize strategies that address outstanding needs and opportunities for growth both in the partner organizations and at SVPRI. This catalog of case studies will serve as a tool for future social ventures, SVPRI and will be presented by the studio to leaders in the field at the SEEED Conference at Brown University in April 2013. _ PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT From the strategies and frameworks identified through the case studies, students will develop their own in-depth proposals for products, services or systems to benefit the local Providence community. These proposals may be directly related to an existing non-profit or take on an entirely new venture. This phase will be supported by the business and marketing acumen at SVPRI and Worldways to develop business plans and campaigns to implement these projects. Throughout the semester the studio will engage with design professionals and visiting speakers who will join us in open lectures and discussions on relevant topics ranging from design thinking, sustainability, human development and creating viable business plans. As this studio

engages with various user groups and organizations, it is expected that students in this course will work in a professional manner in and outside of studio. It will require students to work and meet independently with user groups and partners where punctuality, effective communications and preparedness will be essential for continued and successful collaboration. _SKILL DEVELOPMENT This will be a fast paced studio where students will be expected to practice and build upon their skills in many areas of craft that are crucial to design practice: rapid sketching, modeling, concept development and prototyping. However, it will also be an opportunity to develop research-oriented skills related to social entrepreneurship: collaboration with community ventures, conducting user research, evaluating and comparing precedents, developing business plans and pitching ideas to leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship. As a public endeavor, representation will be central to the work of the studio as it is a key concern of communicating complex design solutions to broad audience. You will need to communicate design strategies and ideas to people without any formal design training - for this reason, the studio takes seriously the challenge of developing the necessary verbal and non-verbal communication skills to produce clear, coherent and convincing presentations. _ WORK This studio is digitally supported (each student has a computer). While much of the content will be in digital format, students will be responsible to have legible printed material from their documentation process ready for use during each studio session (group critiques, section pinups and studio-wide public reviews). This hard copy plays a crucial part in the studio working process. During the course of the semester students will be asked to begin successive phases of both individual and group work with the use of previously documented material. These exhibits are viewed as valuable communication tools that (1) are used to organize and propose narrative approaches in the design process, (2) serve as visual place holders/reminders of questions/challenges/edits to reevaluate or resolve from past critiques. Conventional 3-d model making also plays a key role in the studio working process as this studio emphasizes the methodology of designing through making. _ARCHIVING STUDENT WORK In this studio work will be archived in digital format. Throughout the semester you will be required to maintain a blog. You will use this blog to share research, insights and your own studio work with the rest of the studio. Student blogs are expected to be updated weekly. The course blog, www.RISDDeSE.blogspot.com will serve as a hub linking to each students individual site as well as a resource for access to readings, assignments and course information. In addition to this, immediately following all reviews, a digital record of the work presented, including all relevant descriptive text, must be submitted to the instructor. _CHARRETTES We will organize a number of charrettes (or brainstorming sessions) over the course of the semester, both in the studio and out. These brainstorming sessions will involve guests, artists, experts and outside consultants. In order to make the most of their attendance full participation by the studio is mandatory. _REVIEWS Reviews for our studio are a "triple bind," in that they are to serve as opportunities for individual critique, a summary of studio progress and an opportunity to learn from our project partners. Because of the studio's shared endeavor, full day participation in reviews is mandatory (no last minute changes, no additional work will be allowed on the day of the review).

_EXPECTATION & ASSESSMENT While much of the studio work is done in groups or teams, grading is based on each individual students design process and progress: consistent contribution to group work; articulation of clear design goals; development of coherent design proposals; verbal and graphic presentation skills; willingness to explore and test new modes of design research. Overall performance will be evaluated by a five part rubric: Content Product Process Performance Skills You should note that overall excellence in the class requires excellence performance in the each area of the rubric. To assist you in planning your work and evaluating your performance you will receive the rubrics used to evaluate each phase of work prior to the beginning of that phase. We will assess work three times over the course of the semester in the days following each design review. Any student considered at risk of receiving a Low Pass or Fail grade will receive formal notification by letter. We provide these letters to insure individuals the opportunity to rectify their standing, as required. Receipt of final grades will depend on full submission of project documentation materials (see Archiving above) _ATTENDANCE Attendance is expected during all scheduled studio time. You are strongly encouraged to work in studio at all times. Attendance is mandatory at pin-ups and final reviews. Absence from any review could lead to a failing grade. At RISD an unexcused absence from 2 classes is grounds for removal from the class.

Spring 2013: DESIGN FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP _DeSE | PVD RISD Industrial Design Advanced Studio: Course Syllabus Instructor: Patricia Gruits Course Blog: www.DeSE-PVD2013.wordpress.com

Studio Schedule

DRAFT.01

PHASE ONE: DISCOVERY This phase will provide the studio with the expertise to address the issues in and around the field of social entrepreneurship. Week 1: Introduction to the Studio February 14 A1: Self Assesment, due 2/19 A2: Sketch Problem, due 2/19 R1: Readings: What is Social Entrepreneurship, due 2/19 Week 2: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship February 19, 21 A3: Design for Social Change, Precedent Study, due 2/26 R2: Better by Design & Design Thinking for Social Innovation, due 2/21 A4: Models for Social Entrepreneurship, Precedent Study, due 2/28 R3: Power of Unreasonable People & The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, due 2/26 Week 3-4: Precedent and Ethnographic Research February 26, 28 Review: Precedent Study, 2/26 Review: Models of SE, 2/28 A5: Ethnographic Research, due 3/5 March 05, 07 Review: Enthographic Research, 3/5 Kick off meeting with SVPRI and non-profit project partners, 3/7 PHASE TWO: FIELD WORK During this phase students will partner with local Providence based NGOs to develop case studies or Stories that dive into these ventures and provide the studio with a resource that will be shared internally and externally to develop new frameworks. Week 5-6: Case Study March 12, 14 A6: Field Research & Development of Case Study Catalog, due 3/21 March 19, 21 Meetings in the field with partners and development of Catalog Review: Case Study Catalog, due 3/21 Week 7: Spring Break March 26, 28 Week 8: Frameworks

April 02, 04 A7: Development of Ecosystem Frameworks A8: Discussion of Strategies for intervention PHASE THREE: PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT Building upon the strategies identified in the field working with non-profits and social ventures students will work to develop in-depth proposals to meet social needs and create positive social and environmental impact. Weeks 9-14: Developing Project Proposals April 09, 11 A9: Conducting User Research / Further Ethnographic Study April 16, 18 A10: Design concept development sketches and prototypes April 23, 25 A11: Rapid Iteration of Design Concepts SEEED CONFERENCE April 26, 27 (Attendance Strongly Suggested) Presentation of Case Studies and Frameworks to Leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship April 30, May 02 A12: Design Revisions: Project Development A13: Workshops: Business Plan Development & Evaluating Social Ventures May 07, 09 A14: Design Revisions: Project Development Internal Mid-Review of Project with Partners May 14, 16 A15: Design Revisions: Project Development A16: Development of Project Proposals and Documentation Week 15: FINAL REVIEW: Presentation of Final Proposals May 21, 23 Final Review Date: TBD A17: Submit CD to department with documentation of work A18: Update course blog with final