INTEGRUS’ Post

Accessibility and inclusive design truly has the power to change the world. Universally designed playgrounds? More people living healthier lives. Accessible and adaptable homes? Less people needing to leave their home and community when needs naturally (or suddenly) change over time. Inclusive workplaces? Greater productivity, better work culture, and higher quality employees! The list goes on, and on, and on.

Inclusive design goes beyond accessibility to consider the psychological and emotional impacts that buildings and landscapes can have on people. Explore how three projects are going the extra mile to ensure that their users feel welcome, laying the groundwork for happier, healthier individuals and stronger communities: https://lnkd.in/guT_Bbjj #inclusivedesign #inspirationilluminated #PWinsights #designinsights

It is the duty of our project teams to design spaces that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as possible. This idea manifests in all areas of expertise, especially on college campuses and within community centers. In this Insights article, Perkins&Will explores three projects that show how impactful inclusive design is for various user groups. #inclusivedesign #perkinswill #insights #UCCS #MOSAIC #recreationdesign

#WeekNote 11 (03-05-24) 3 good things... 😁  👍Reading Decolonizing Design by Dori Tunstall 🤯 Honestly, I feel like I've just been schooled in the best possible way. Everybody should read this, regardless of whether you work in design or not. I'm not going to say what my key takeaways are because if you're interested YOU SHOULD BUY AND READ THIS BOOK, then I'll be happy to chat 🙂 👍Making progress in simplifying how we talk about what we do at all in. This really shouldn't feel like a significant milestone, but it does. We have also distilled our service offerings into three buckets. We practice what we preach so we want to test before we release this earth shattering messaging to the world. If you work in the public or social sector and are interested in providing feedback on whether the content does actually make sense to folks outside the team, then please send me a note! 👍Attending the Building Home Exhibit and Speaker Series at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery last night. This was my second time experiencing the installation, which was designed in close collaboration with youth with lived experience of homelessness. Listening to the project lead and artists reflect on the key themes and the process of co-creation deepened my appreciation of the work while fanning the fury flames. A quote from a participating youth that was shared during the talk that doesn't feature in the exhibit that I hope don't forget until it is no longer true: "Stop saying that we fell through the cracks. They aren't cracks. The system is explicitly designed to pull and keep us under." The exhibit runs until May 10th in Fredericton. Please go, take your friends, and invite your elected representatives. 2 challenges 😬 👎 We've had a couple of projects stall, which means that our team has unanticipated capacity, which means I'm a little more highly strung than usual. On the plus side, it does mean that we have more time to work on internal projects that have been on the back burner (and I'm writing this on Friday morning instead of Saturday morning). That said, if you know anyone who has a complex problem or service transformation project that is just waiting for some love from a dream team of participatory researchers, designers, and facilitators, then send them our way! 👎 Other than 👆 I'm drawing a blank here about any other challenges this week, which I'm not going to push and just going to take as a win! 1 upcoming thing I'm excited about 😍 👏 Spending some more time reading and writing while the project workload is light. Books I'm reading 📖 👓 The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House by Audre Lorde 👂Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality without Religion by Sam Harris #Decolonization #Design #YouthHomelessness #PublicSector #ServiceDesign #SocialChange

Inclusive design goes beyond accessibility to consider the psychological and emotional impacts that buildings and landscapes can have on people. Working through the various considerations will produce spaces that can enhance the experiences of broader populations. Perkins&Will shares 3 examples that go the extra mile to ensure that their users feel welcome, laying the groundwork for happier, healthier individuals and stronger communities. #InclusiveDesign #Accessibility #Design #Community https://lnkd.in/guT_Bbjj

In this article, Clara Daniels digs deeper into the extraordinary relationship between #KeithHaring and #CityKids, by shedding light on how their joint artistic endeavors developed into catalysts for social change and urban empowerment. It explores the manner in which art can be used as an instrument to spark societal shifts, foster harmony, and promote deep contributions to the community.

I'm challenging myself by using LinkedIn more (even when I don’t feel like an expert or anywhere close), sharing my thoughts, interests, and whatever else might come to mind in this very-soon-to-be PhD journey of mine. At the moment, I'm becoming increasingly intrigued by the concept of pluriversal design and its potential to redefine the future of universal design. I'm particularly curious about its implications for play among neurodivergent children and children who may struggle with different kinds of disabilities (or in any other way stand out from 'the norm'). What pluriversal design seems to offer is a alternative methodology to traditional approaches where the ultimate goal is often framed as inclusive design within a western and neurotypical context. However, this notion of inclusivity can inadvertently exclude marginalized voices, as it tends to normalize and “welcome” others into a one-fits-all framework that relies on neurotypical and western standards. Pluriversal design challenges this narrative by centering diverse experiences, cultures, and perspectives, thus creating spaces that truly embrace the multiplicity of human existence. I'm excited to delve deeper into this dynamic field, exploring how it can pave the way for more empowering and equitable environments for all. #PluriversalDesign #Neurodiversity #Accessibility #PhDJourney

As a regular user of the London Overground, I've been closely following the debates around the recent rebranding and I must say, the criticism surprises me! 🚇 The decision to distinguish the lines with unique names not only adds clarity (no more panic when hearing of disruptions on the Overground!) but also celebrates the rich history and diversity of London. As for the names, I find them broad, inclusive, and representative of our shared heritage - although, I must admit, the 'Lioness' line is quite a tongue-twister! 🦁 The main criticisms seem to be that the names are 'woke', the system was clear already, and the rebranding was too costly. But these arguments don't resonate with me. What does seem to permeate through, however, is the perception that this was a 'market-driving' approach akin to Steve Jobs' philosophy of 'People don't know what they want until you show it to them'. But does this edge towards elitism? Does this 'top-down' approach mean that decisions are being made by a small group of decision-makers, without enough consideration of what the diverse range of Overground users actually want or need? 🍰 This brings me to an important reminder - when it comes to rebranding, it's crucial to proceed with caution and keep the users' needs and perceptions at the forefront. After all, it's the users who interact with the brand every day and make it a part of their lives. What are your thoughts? Has the rebranding made your Overground journey clearer or more confusing? 💬 https://lnkd.in/ewqAwRZ3 #rebranding #customerexperience

Updating here, as it’s been about 3 months since I joined the City of Boston as head of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics. For the uninitiated, MONUM is the Mayor’s civic innovation team, the team that applies human-centered design on the entire spectrum of R&D activities to advance the Mayor’s agenda and the City’s initiatives to better the lives of residents (and beyond). We get to partner with all Cabinets and Departments as well as organizations and institutions across the city and strategically push for transformation in many areas, like housing, climate, youth, and transportation, among others. There are a lot of questions about which directions civic innovation ought to go in this day and age, whether or not it should even stick around in City Hall. The question is even more of an imperative at this City Hall, which is filled with so many innovative leaders. But as cities always need to adapt, so does the definition of innovation. For us, we’re expanding our toolbox of strategies beyond prototypes. We’ll always continue to experiment and iterate, only now that would be accompanied by: 1) deeper upfront research and evidence building and 2) stronger connections to delivery and operationalizing positive changes. These are newer muscles to build and flex, it’ll be exciting to see how it goes! Do reach out if you have ideas or thoughts to share. It’s also been fun for me to learn more about the impact the MONUM team has had (beyond 311) especially since that's the one question that is inevitably asked: - Piloting strategic roles that join the City full-time, like the Housing Innovation Lab or the Office of Early Childhood Development, yielding new programs like Great Starts that streamlines families’ search for childcare or preschool. - Heeding the call of the disabled community to improve sidewalk accessibility by helping property owners better maintain areaways (i.e. empty spaces underneath sidewalks), a complex challenge for historic cities. - Extending Browse, Borrow, and Board beyond MBTA and Boston Public Library to across all of Massachusetts. I’ll share more as I learn, it’s been an exciting ride so far and I’m grateful to be working alongside the best team.

I am sharing an article recently written on the transformative and welcoming nature of our work for PLWD and their connected communities at Adaptive Design through an online publication called Printmag-- https://lnkd.in/eGzDbHci.