The story behind the new D:Lab
As you may have noticed, the D:Lab is looking a little different this year. We hope that the new structure will help keep everything organized as the D:Lab grows year after year. Following typical design thinking methodology, this restructuring process took a lot of interviews, many whiteboard markers, and a ridiculous number of sticky notes. A big thank you goes out to everyone who gave us their input on the D:Lab and how it could be improved. This restructure wouldn’t have been possible without you!
Empathy Phase
When we first came to Ghana in May, we knew very little about the D:Lab or Ashesi University, so we took our time with the empathy phase. It took us several weeks to get a basic understanding of the organized chaos that was the D:Lab. We started our journey for understanding with informal discussions with current and former D:Lab members to get a better idea of what the D:Lab was and what challenges it faced. Next, we did ethnographic research by visiting some of the D:Lab’s active prototypes such as the farm modelling garden, the vertical farming set up, and the hydroponics structure. The rest of our research was more formal, involving interviews with D:Lab leads and coordinators. The goal of these interviews was to identify highlights and weak points in the current structure, identify common challenges that projects were facing, gauge member reception of curriculum programs and cross-project collaboration, find ways to increase member engagement, and identify ways to add value to the D:Lab experience. After all the interviews were conducted, we transcribed each one and condensed it further into an interview synthesis sheet.
Definition Phase
One of the most important things we extracted from our interviews was what the D:Lab represented to its project leads. To them, the D:Lab was a community of multidisciplinary problem solvers working together and learning from one another. We wanted to emphasize this in the new D:Lab structure by focusing on strong communication systems and community-building events. Another common comment we received from D:Lab leads was that they wished D:Lab activities were more hands-on. Many leads had initially joined the D:Lab because its project-based nature allowed them to practice the design thinking skills they had learned in class. Recently, the D:Lab shifted to become more abstract and theory focused, and many of the leads wanted to see the shift reversed.
Many D:Lab leads also told us that they felt overwhelmed by school work and found it challenging to balance D:Lab commitments with their courses. Challenges with communication and accountability between members also made it difficult for them to be successful with their projects. They wanted to remain a part of the D:Lab, though, because of the opportunities it presented for personal growth through conferences, partnerships with industry professionals, and general exposure to the world of design thinking that exists beyond the classroom.
Interviewing D:Lab leads also allowed us to identify all the components that make up the lab. There were so many projects going on at once, and it was hard to find one person who could name them all. By talking to many people, we were able to piece together the whole picture.
Ideation Phase
Once we had a better understanding of what the D:Lab was, where its strengths and weaknesses lay, and what its members wanted for the future, we could start reimagining the D:Lab. We began by creating a slogan that would unite all the parts of the lab and give it a universal sense of purpose. After several iterations, we decided on “empowering changemakers through design thinking” because it captured the two most important parts of the D:Lab: design thinking and the passionate, determined nature of its members.
To begin, we wrote a description of each component of the D:Lab on a separate sticky note and placed them all on a whiteboard. Next, we rearranged them into groups based on their objectives. It became clear that the D:Lab had two parts: one that contained the ideas and projects that give the D:Lab its purpose (Initiatives), and one that contained all the resources and support services that these projects and ideas needed to operate (Logistics and Operations). We began subdividing these categories further and further until we could define cohesive teams - pods of D:Lab components that complement one another. It took several iterations of sticky note rearrangements to reach a final design.
Prototype
We began prototyping our design for the D:Lab by creating a Slack workspace where D:Lab teams will communicate. This was especially important to us because we wanted to put a focus on good communication and community building to reflect the comments D:Lab leads made in their interviews. We also wrote a document containing all the roles needed to operate the D:Lab and the responsibilities each role has. This helped us to break the roles down into small, manageable chunks to reduce the heavy burden on students trying to balance D:Lab commitments with their schoolwork. We believe it will help us build accountability in the D:Lab because everyone will know exactly what tasks they are responsible for. Finally, we created a google drive based on the new structure. We thought creating special file storage spaces for each D:Lab team would encourage organization and ownership over the work being done. We also wanted each team’s information and progress to be easily visible to all members of the D:Lab, further strengthening the sense of community and accountability.
Testing & Implementation
To test our new structure, we showed our prototype to Dr. Gordon Adomdza to get this feedback. After making several changes, we showed our work to previous D:Lab leads to hear their opinions. Finally, we were ready to make the new D:Lab public. We created a recruitment package and an application form and began circulating them on social media, seeking out dedicated students who could bring the new D:Lab structure to life. The rest of the implementation process will be in their capable hands. Where will they take the D:Lab? Stay tuned for updates!