They had already built up the plans. They had hired an architect to draw up the layout of a building, with no basis if this solution is viable. They had not talked to members of the design community. They had not talked to their own architects.

It was clear what the real challenge is: Is investing the time and resources into building this interdisciplinary design center worth it?

IN REAL TERMS:
How can we access this design community in Austin to ultimately increase funding for AFA’s programs?

By thoroughly understanding why AFA is asking the questions, we were able to identify the problem, it cleared the woods in what we were navigating. Suddenly, the woods were cleared, and we could see the path ahead of us.

EVOLVED PROBLEM STATEMENT:
How might we identify impactful first steps to establishing a mutually beneficial role for a new inclusive, interdisciplinary design entity in Austin?

OUR APPROACH:
User Interviews
Ethnography
Secondary netnography

RESEARCH INSIGHTS:
Designers expect a lot more from in-person events today. Fun, exciting, perks, value, clear return on their time invested, etc. Quality of events should take priority over convenience. Since the pandemic, the need to go outside consists of a higher standard. The event must meet those higher standards.

Designers and architects are tired.

USER PERSONAS:

Meet the Architect
Ellis the busy architect needs help finding time to connect with creatives outside of his insular community of architects so that he can find creative inspiration, practical inspiration, and ultimately be more fulfilled in his role. He does not have free time and feels isolated within a small community of architects. They must also complete a required number of hours by attending programming events AFA provides to uphold their certification as an architect.

They were feeling neglected by AFA, the programming is not enough. How can AFA look toward a new target audience when their acquired audience is feeling neglected?

We realized the solution needed to encompass not just the interdisciplinary designers AFA wanted to reach, it also needed to encompass keeping their current group of architects.

Meet the Service Designer
Samantha the service designer needs a way to increase connection with other. service designers as well as the larger design community so that she can feel supported and that her work is more visible and valued by the larger design community.

People do not know what her role is, so she feels unseen. She does not feel like a part of the Austin design community.

STRATEGY TO CENTER OUR SOLUTION AROUND:
Couple service designers with architects to draw this bridge that will connect architects with the design community for a more integrated design community.
Not only is AFA repositioning itself, they are not neglecting the community they are already serving.

AFA Architects will find time to connect with creatives outside of their insular community of architects so that they can find creative inspiration, and ultilmately be more fulfilled in their roles.

Austin service designers will increase connection with other SDs as well as the larger design community so that they can feel supported and that their work is more visible and valued by the larger design community.

IDEATION STEPS TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION

Different events catered towards different designers -in person events should be the focus but there should be online components available for those who can not attend. Events should be hosted at a variety of different locations (not just downtown).

• Achieve: 

• Provide a community for service designers

• Allow visibility of the work of service designers

• Extend sources of inspiration to architects

• Account for significant challenges - AIGA already fulfilling that space

• Huge challenge of making designers coming to anything 

• Can do what you wanna do but these are the challenges you have to take into account: 

• Example of adding direct value is by getting a speaker significant in their field in some way - ex: urban planner but get speaker that has a title that ppl know of which is an easy way to get people in one place 

• Include pros and cons as justification - want more definitive solution and conclusion 

• Organize for smaller groups - lots of events needed organizers - have sub groups for diff designers, could fill the role as meetup organizer

• Not every event has to be for every designer- too broad 

• AFA event coordination 

• AFA is the skeleton the smaller groups

• If physical space is validated- consistent physician space

Build community FIRST > LEARN from people coming to these events + what they are interested in > THEN more knowledge to see if a physical space is needed and how it could be used, and what other future things would be feasible for them to do (big exhibitions, social impact projects, connection to the general public, etc).

TEST SOLUTION AND ITERATION
Community building in bite sized programming
Casual, accessible events (low time, low effort)
Clear and direct value (emphasize the “why” in event descriptions)
The goal? (to get people there)

Characteristics of first steps:
Target Audience: Current AFA members, service designers
Attendee Perks: Free events, learning opportunity, networking, free food/drinks
Marketing: Online (social media, meetup, Eventbrite) and word of mouth
Social Media: Comprehensive calendar, Instagram, LinkedIn
Event Space: Public areas, partner with design studios
Sponsors/ Donations: Starbucks, Panera, Tiff’s Treats, drink companies
Examples of events: Small-scale meet-ups and speaker series

IMPACTFUL QUOTE

“In Austin, the design ecosystem is there - but not the community.”

There is a need for a connecting force for designers in Austin. The question is how can we introduce AFA as an organization that attracts designers and provide the most value in a city whose design ecosystem is growing.

NEXT STEPS
With more time, we would have liked to conduct more interviews with disciplines of other designers.

Is a central physical space for Austin designers needed?

What other design disciplines should AFA target?

Provide opportunities that serve obvious direct value to both designers and architects

• Improve discoverability through a consolidated source of happenings in the Austin design community

building consistency and clarity and increasing access

LEARNING

1. I gravitate toward problem solving. This was my first in-depth UX research project, and it felt very much like I was putting on the hat of a detective.

2. The real world is not clear cut. Starting off from a vague ask felt frustrating, but it propelled us even more to search for clarification which then led us into coming up with a more tailored solution to fit the actual problem.

3. Playing the detective is fun. As an artist, I am used to creating something out of nothing. Create with the resources you have. In digging more to the truth, the ideas come.