Embracing the stranger. Developing interculturally sensitive public services

This intensive graduate workshop aimed to engage interdisciplinary dialog around how design can be mobilized to operationalize the city of Montreal’s intercultural policy. This workshop took place during a territorial residency
commissioned by the borough of Montréal-Nord, which was invested in the project of building a new public library for its constituents. Recent efforts led by the design research community explored the specificity of design methods regarding tackling social problems. On top of contributing to an extension of traditional design boundaries, research efforts in this area uncovered how design capacity that accounts for user experiences can be instrumental in expressing new values. Numerous professional disciplines (e.g., information sciences, nursing, social work, management, and public policy) have since started looking toward conceptual and methodological design frameworks for insight about how to tackle their own practical challenges. Their interests in design methods are motivated by the conceptual ability of design to merge uncertainties and complex social realities and its practical ways of accounting for public concern in its process. Yet, these developments remain at the fringe. The extent of design value for public service development has yet to be fully examined. In this regard, the goal of this interdisciplinary workshop was to explore the impact design may have on the operationalization and development of public policies.

INSTRUCTOR

Sebastien Proulx

TERM

Summer 2019

CLASS NUMBER

Design 7193

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Diversity Policy Critical Analysis
• Book Review
• Design Sprints
• Daily Autoethnographic Report
• Reflective Paper