Tag: humanitarian

Benefits to Human-Centered Programming for Non-Profits and Social Impact Organizations

September 21, 2022

Human-centered Programming gives Non-profits, Humanitarian, and Social Impact organizations the tools needed to solve challenging human problems in deep partnership with program beneficiaries. It brings their stories, experience, and creativity into solutions meant for them. The benefits are real and sustainable as your organization and your audience become co-designers, co-implementers,

Empathy Interviews for Non-Profit and Social Impact Organizations

September 20, 2022

Listening to stories from program beneficiaries helps us gain empathy. As we begin to understand a person’s challenges and goals from their perspective, we can co-create genuinely helpful solutions and services. Empathy interviews in the social impact space require special preparation. Interviewees may have experienced trauma and need a safe

Is Human-Centered Programming a good fit for your non-profit, humanitarian, or social impact organization?

September 13, 2022

Human-centered programming is an approach to solving challenging social problems in deep partnership with your audience. Partnering with your audience brings their stories, their goals, their challenges, and their creativity into your programs. This self-assessment will help you determine if this approach will really help your organization. Keep track of

3 Questions for Non-profit and humanitarian practitioners

September 12, 2022

These three essential questions can guide the work we do every day in non-profit, NGO, and humanitarian organizations. Who are you helping? What do you truly know about their goals, their experiences, and their challenges? How do you currently use that knowledge to make decisions? Answering these questions bring us

How Human-Centered Design helps non-profits and humanitarian organizations design sustainable solutions

September 9, 2022

With so many difficult challenges and so many people to help, it is tempting to run with the first feasible solution. Time is often short and moving quickly is necessary. There may be pressure from donors, solutions may have been predetermined by leadership, or there may be legacy solutions in

Principles for Co-Designing with Vulnerable Populations

August 25, 2022

Co-designing with your audience brings their stories, goals, challenges, and creativity into humanitarian programs. If programs support people who are vulnerable, special care must be taken to ensure the emotional and psychological safety of your co-designers (your audience!). Additionally, there are power dynamics at play that humanitarian practitioners must mitigate

Co-Designing with Vulnerable Populations

August 11, 2022

Many humanitarian organizations support support people who are vulnerable. They may have experienced trauma, oppression, or disempowerment. Co-designing solutions meant for them can be an incredibly empowering experience. However, special care must be taken to ensure the emotional and psychological safety of your co-designers. Helpful principles are below. Create safe

Humanitarian Innovation Myths

August 10, 2022

Innovation happens in the humanitarian space when dedicated practitioners design creative solutions to society’s trickiest problems. UNHCR dispelled myths of humanitarian innovation that get in the way. https://www.unhcr.org/innovation/5-myths-humanitarian-innovation/

How can we use Human-Centered Design in the Social Sector?

August 8, 2022

Kyle Zimmer from the Forbes Nonprofit Council shared how Human-Centered Design can help in the social sector. 1) Establish the true need through data- and yes, insights gained from empathy research are data. Really rich data. 2) Test ongoing market viability with data from the field. Understanding how well or

Design for Inclusivity in Humanitarian Settings

August 7, 2022

During humanitarian emergencies, resources, life-saving information, and support are often provided via mobile channels. If you are in the midst of an emergency and happen to also have a disability, then getting access to resources via mobile technology can be difficult. Check out this project done in 2020 in Nairobi,

Center for Design Kindness

Amplifying Sustainable Social Impact