Running a Maker Day Workshop to Explore Southview Residents’ Perspectives on Livable Communities in Calgary, Alberta using Design Thinking

AbstractThe research involved organizing and leading a Maker Day workshop in a neighbourhood of Calgary and was concerned with how to meaningfully engage the public by implementing alternative methods using design thinking. The research question: How might Southview change to suit the needs of the existing residents and community while also accommodating for a changing Calgary? guided this study. Participants reported feeling more comfortable sharing, safer in comparison to other meetings they had been at involving community matters, allowing them to converse more passionately and boldly. The research explored how engaging those closest to the problem using human centred design thinking in the scenario of a Maker Day process might cultivate new and invigorating ideas for decision makers to use moving forward. The results may lead to more creative solutions to the challenges this neighbourhood faces. Running a Maker Day workshop using design thinking methods was successful in engaging participants and through grounded theory analysis, thematic elements helped develop new pathways to explore for more localized, community design planning. Keywords: Maker Day workshop, Southview, neighbourhood, design thinking, design scenario, community, community planning

Author dc:creator

• Weber-Vigrass, Kylie

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dale, Ann

• School of environment and sustainability

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/IR-19256

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/27584