Capacity Canada, with the generous support of Suncor Energy Foundation, is inviting non-profit and charitable organizations and collaboratives from across Canada to apply for their free nine-month education and skill-development program.
The program is intended for organizations and collectives that want to make progress on an important challenge while learning a process that can be replicated across other areas of their work.
Capacity Canada aims to grow the number of social good design leaders who drive innovative change in a way that is grounded in the needs of their stakeholders. Design thinking can help organizations mitigate risk and develop better solutions more quickly. Members of the design collective will build their capacity to innovate and approach problem solving differently in the company of other social good changemakers.
The Design Collective is inviting organizations from different communities across Canada to participate in this year’s program. Two individuals from each of the selected organizations will be enrolled in the collective to learn the foundational elements of human centered design to bring this professional skill back to their organizations and communities. We encourage people from under-represented groups to apply as we feel the spirit of human centred design is well suited to addressing many of the challenges faced by these communities.
How Will The Design Collective Work?
Members of the design collective will work with Capacity Canada designers as they learn about design thinking and apply it to real-world problems. Members will bring a passion for interactive design and be strategic and creative thinkers who want to make a meaningful difference on issues of importance to them and their community.
During the first phase of the program, members of the design collective will take a two-day design-thinking course on the principles and practice of human centred design. The course will involve a team-based design project where members will have an opportunity to practice all phases of human-centred design. During the second day of the course, participants will practice facilitation of short design thinking activities through their application to scenarios and vignettes.
During the second phase, collective members will attend three online sessions where they will receive facilitation coaching around the application of design thinking to a challenge or opportunity particular to their organization. This is also an opportunity for the collective to continue to build their connection with each other, reflect on their progress as design thinkers and exchange thoughts and ideas about their projects.
What Is Design Thinking?
Human Centred Design is an approach to problem solving that begins with a deep understanding of and empathy with the people you’re trying to reach—and then designing and testing solutions from their perspective. By including key stakeholders throughout the process, the solutions generated are more likely to be accepted and embraced.
Capacity by Design is a program of Capacity Canada that helps social good organizations rethink how they approach problem solving in order to develop innovative solutions to important challenges. The Design Collective furthers the work of Capacity Canada to build and support resilient individuals, organizations and communities across Canada. This is the second year Capacity Canada is offering a 9-month design-thinking program.
