Title

Letting go and asking “why?” with human-centred design

Length

60 minutes

Format

Zoom workshop and lecture with a visual presentation

Description

How do we know if our project will connect with the needs and desires of the people experiencing it? We may sometimes be eager to place humans at the centre of our work, but we might not always know where to begin, or how to continue the conversation. In this workshop, we’ll explore practical design research and come up with specific questions to help us challenge our assumptions, find new ways to be curious, and learn from perspectives we would have never come to alone.

Biography

Sara works as a user experience researcher at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. She is a recent graduate of the Interdisciplinary Studies in Human-Centred Design postgraduate program at Algonquin College. She holds a BA (Honours) in History from the University of Ottawa.

While a student, Sara worked for the Human-Centred Design Lab, using design research to develop a guide for educators to administer VR in a way that can help children access their emotions in a safe space. As part of her studies, she worked on a team that created new ways for a national museum organization to bring playful experiences to adults outside typical museum spaces. Sara spends her time in her current work speaking with people all over the world who use government services, all with the goal of placing their needs at the centre of design decisions.