THE SOCIAL IS THE THING: TAKING A DESIGNERLY APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING

The Social is the Thing is an applied Design for Social Innovation research study that is investigating both current and potential uses of design methods in the development of local government strategic planning, and testing evaluation strategies.

The aim of this research is to use design methods and evaluation practices to draw a line between what communities say they need to the outcomes of the strategic plans that advocate for them. It includes combination of the public Policy Design Arc (Harvard Kennedy School of Government), Design Thinking and Co-Design, and incorporates Cultural Development Network schema within a Four-Pillars approach to evaluation.

We are building a case study that focuses on Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Cultural Plan 2021-2025, which will cover the region’s cultural arts, growth and innovation within the creative economy, arts tourism and heritage. We will examine the value of designerly approaches to developing a strategic plan alongside community, and implement a Co-Design framework for creating strategy for evaluation.

To read more about The Social is the Thing, click here.

The Creative Citizen Project

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Her current research, the Creative Citizen Project, focuses on implementing design processes into multidisciplinary educational workshops for young people that build both political knowledge and creative storytelling skills. The aim of this project is to build capacity in regional youth in particular for creative civic engagement, or what we call, ‘critical creativity’. This is a joint project is supported by Charles Sturt University, The Whitlam Institute in Western Sydney University, and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.

Click here for information on the Creative Citizen Project.

The Ligatures of Life

Willhemina’s doctoral research examined to the role of designers in the creation of ‘difficult exhibitions’ - that is, exhibits that contain information on subjects such as genocide, gender violence, war, death and contested histories.

For more information on Difficult Exhibition research, see, see: https://www.ligaturesoflife.com/

Workshops

Braenchild Collective facilitates community engagement and workshops in visual storytelling, Design Thinking and narrative development.

Members of our team have facilitated workshops at:

  • Port Macquarie-Hastings Council - Cultural Plan development

  • The University of Dayton’s Human Rights Centre (Moral Courage Project 2021)

  • The Social Practice of Human Rights Conference (University of Dayton’s Human Rights Centre, 2021)

  • Accelerator Program: Charles Sturt University Innovation Hub, Port Macquarie (2021)

  • Luminosity Youth Summit (2019)

  • Picture Justice Australia, Charles Sturt University (Creative Citizen Project) (2019)

  • LitFest2444, Port Macquarie (2017, 2018 & 2019)

  • St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie (2015)

  • The 12th Annual Meeting for the International Association of Genocide Scholars in Yerevan, Armenia (2015)