Why come do what I did in the US in Cambodia?
Human-centered-design methods and tools give a framework to the things I realize now I’ve always believed in and in one way or another strove to live by. That whole emotional intelligence / empathy-driven work thing.
And to become even better at it takes constant iteration. The greater the number of ways (and the degrees to which these ways differ from one another) I engage with my craft will determine how good I am at it down the line. 10,000 hrs is the mantra that ppl carry on about — & that’s fine. But I will add that experience is the result of more than just time and effort (assuming that effort means both level of engagement and quality). Circumstance and in this case diversity will determine how well I understand how to do what I love to do.
And so I am here to learn. I’ve just begun applying this process consciously, deliberately, to my daily practice and to the work I do for others. I believe my time in Cambodia will allow me grow much faster.
Things happen in a microcosm here. The factors that influence the product or service are on a tangible scale, and the impact you can have with a successful product or service feels significantly greater.
Of course, you can spin the argument 180 degrees, too, and say that coming here to implement human-centered design is an exponentially more difficult and nuanced endeavour than my work was in the US, and as a result a worthy challenge. In one sense it is easier to stay in a “child’s mind”, as the culture here is much more blatantly different than one’s own. But at the same time, it is harder to pin point the subtler bias that creeps into synthesis, and to resolve the issue should you even recognise it.
It appears we are still in the process of establishing that the methodology we use and the services we provide are integral to success in product and service design for social good. Particularly when it comes to conversations around what to change about current approaches in this sector. It is a sensitive topic to push, tricky because who are we to say that those who have left their cushy lives in the West to help others haven’t been targeting “user needs’ properly?
Learning the right language to use in the non-profit sector will make me better at translating between groups of people, something that is top-priority in empathy-driven design.
