Service design for social change: reflections on teaching human-centred design in an undergraduate social work degree

ABSTRACT

Human Centred Design (HCD) is emerging in Australia as a participatory approach to service design in social work and human services organisations. In this article, we reflect upon our incorporation of HCD into a core unit offered to final-year students in a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) degree, as part of a collaboration between design and social work academics. We highlight successes and challenges, and identify adaptations that can provide HCD with a stronger strength-based, critical approach that better aligns with critical social work education. We provide suggestions for social work practitioners and educators around implementing HCD, in ways that inspire critical and reflexive thinking, promote social justice and focus on designing for progressive, structural and social change.

KEYWORDS:

• Human centred design
• critical social work
• social work
• social justice
• authentic assessment
• personas

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patrick O’Keeffe

Patrick O’Keeffe is a lecturer in the Social Work and Human Services Cluster at RMIT University. Patrick's research and teaching has explored the incorporation of participatory design approaches into social work education and practice.

Elinor Assoulin

Elinor Assoulin is a proud Jewish Moroccan woman who acknowledges her unsettled position as an immigrant who benefits from the colonial project. Elinor is an art psychotherapist and academic whose interest lies in the intersection between art, race, identity and visual pathways for expression, communication and research.

Jo Szczepanska

Jo Szczepanska wants to live in a fair and healthy world, where services are co-designed with communities. An award-winning multidisciplinary designer, she has a solid background in research. Jo has worked in Australia, Asia, and Europe to plan and prototype products, services and experiences. She is currently working at the Victorian State Government Department of Premier and Cabinet as a Service Designer.