Hawthorne Community Center
Customer Experience
Context:
Hawthorne Community Center, has been a multi-service center for over 80 years. Hawthorne has served residents of the area in a variety of ways and their programs continuously evolve in order to meet the needs from within the community. In 2007, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) adopted a new strategic plan to realign programs and resources in a way that promotes neighborhood-led comprehensive community development. This new plan addresses neighborhood life as a whole, looking beyond just the housing units that make up the community, understanding the needs of the residents are critical to creating a lasting, positive environment.
We approached design research by looking deeply into the lives of people, resulting in new insights about their desires and needs. Participatory design research methods allowed Hawthorne users to directly be involved in developing actionable insights for identified opportunity areas.
My role:
I was one of the researchers in a team of 4 researchers collaborating on this project.
Research Methods Development
The design research tools developed for the children's experience, were designed to understand how Hawthorne empowers the social and intellectual skills of children in different age groups.
We developed the tools keeping in mind the respective age of each child. We tried to be cautious of not overwhelming the kids. We made sure that the tools given to them were fun, and did not appear to be boring. We also kept in mind the short attention span of the average child. A disposable camera, a diary scrapbook, and a card game were given to the children. Each tool was designed specifically for one of these three age groups:
Preschooler (3 to 5 years old): one 4-year-old sample
Middle childhood (6 to 8 years old): one 8-year-old sample
Middle childhood (9 to 11 years old): one 9-year-old sample, one 10-year-old sample
User Engagement and Data Collection
While meeting with the children, we introduced the various tools they would be using. Example activities were demonstrated to ensure the children understood each part. Three weeks were spent collecting data. Keeping the children involved with the research a significant challenge. It required several scheduled and random visits to obtain completed materials. We subsequently, consulted with the kids about the material they returned, to gain greater insight into their responses. Ultimately, we received three cameras and one diary.
Data Analysis and Synthesis
In analyzing data, we applied three conceptual frameworks and found patterns of meaning from the collected data. Some of the patterns that we found were:
Emotional/Social: In our sample group, all the data collected indicated that Hawthorne Community Center had a large effect on their social behaviors related to making friend, interacting with family, creating sense of future, and broadening engagement with outsiders.
Mental/Cognitive changes: Since the ages ranged from 4 to 11, and at different education levels, their mental, cognition and manner consciousness could have an impact and a big difference on their intellectual capacity.
Physical Locations: Their routine was highly dictated by their physical locations, from home to school, to Hawthorne, and back to home. This pattern dominated their lifestyle and was very evident from the data that was collected.
By observing their range of experiences, and making sense of the many challenges, problems and opportunities identified, we created a challenge statement intended to produce actionable outcomes:
How might Hawthorne provide or facilitate meaningful family experiences?
By integrating educational and experiential activities into the families daily lives, this program intends to target specific learning styles appropriate for a given situation. In doing so, this program will address both applicable knowledge and emotional connections while being mindful of practical constraints.
Proposed Solution
Mutual learning through lived experience is a model for integrating English skills and confidence- building into everyday experience As a result of experiences gained through design research methodologies, this solution matrix is framed within the lived experience of clients in the Working Families Program at Hawthorne Community Center. By using lived experience to facilitate the teaching of English skills, parents will gain much-needed practical knowledge, while children will learn about planning, decision-making and self-reliance.