Discover: Exploring Challenge Topics and Doing Research

This first design jam will provide an overview of D4SD 2020 and the challenge topics related to making San Diego more sustainable, including ways we can address immediate challenges responding to COVID-19. D4SD educators will outline the process and dive into methods to deeply understand how an issue affects different stakeholders.

Virtual Location: Zoom links will be provided for registered attendees before each session.

About this Event

Design for San Diego (D4SD) is a human-centered design challenge aimed at addressing important civic issues in our region. (Learn more at d4sd.org)

In light of COVID-19, our community faces new and unprecedented challenges. Businesses are struggling, educators are teaching online, individuals are dealing with new sources of stress, and many are home alone looking for ways to cope and help. As one way to provide support for our community in these trying times, D4SD is offering online collaborative design jams!

What is a Design Jam? A design jam is a fun, interactive session where we explore challenges and generate potential solutions using human-centered design. Learn the basics of design thinking through a live online course hosted by D4SD educators. Get practice with empathy building, research, problem framing, ideating, prototyping, and testing. Immerse yourself into the San Diego design community to hear from experts, take part in small group discussions, and meet potential collaborators for your own design efforts.

To date, D4SD 2020 has been exploring how we can make San Diego a more sustainable region by addressing challenges in health, mobility, housing, and environment. Given the “new normal”, these design jams will model a design process using the current COVID-19 challenges as the central focus.

Sessions take place every Friday starting April 10 until May 1st, from 11AM-2PM. You can join for any or all sessions.

• Who can attend? These free D4SD design jams are for anyone seeking to apply design thinking to civic issues in San Diego–from beginners to experts.
• What will I need to participate? You will need a laptop, an internet connection, and a free Zoom account.
• What happens during the 3-hour design jam? The D4SD team will lead the first 90 minutes, with the first 30 minutes dedicated to challenge updates and design thinking basics, followed by facilitated exercises and discussions. Stay for the last 90 minutes to continue jamming in smaller breakout groups.

Note: Participants may submit proposals for the D4SD Summit without joining these design jams. Likewise, participants in the design jams do not need to join for the D4SD Summit on May 15, although we encourage all to join. If you are new to D4SD, the Design Jams will help you prepare to submit proposals for the D4SD Summit.