A designer at peace in a dynamic world can design for it

Sascha Vonk
Nov 5 · 2 min read

If there’s one thing a designer has to have, it is a set of steel nerves. Especially in social design, where designers go out to do field research. I had to do field research for a recent project in a country foreign to me and in a surroundings filled with children. This experience was both challenging and educational, as it tested me personally in different ways.

Our field study took place in Denmark at a series of youth clubs where children come to have fun and relax after school. Youth clubs are common around Denmark and are arranged as a paid membership for parents. We were given the task to design concepts, products or services that could help children at the youth clubs to think and act more sustainable.

As a student who is educated in social science, I had a short introduction into field research and methods about how to gain access into a field and to approach people. I still however felt nervous to have to approach new people and make this process work.

What I learned this time around is that intuition is perhaps the most valuable tool for a designer in the field. The field we were working in was extremely dynamic and chaotic and as a consequence our previously created tools did not work in the surroundings we faced. We were forced many times to change our plans and adjust our expectations. This was on the one hand frustrating and made us doubt ourselves, but it also showed us that even though our plans fell through, we made it and now know how to handle a dynamic field and to be flexible in our process.

Working in the field is scary, as it not only forces you to step out of your comfort zone and approach strangers, but also makes you give up some control over the design process. Plans fall through. People do not react the way you want. However it teaches you that you can manage your process no matter what comes your way. A designer who is at peace with a dynamic world can design for it.

Written by

Design student in Denmark. Social Science graduate and interested in all things psychology.

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