Using Design Activism to Empower and Value a Community Group

Abstract

I have been working as a Masters student with a group of people that don’t generally have a voice in everyday discourse – perpetrators of domestic violence. Stopping Violence Dunedin (SVD) is run by experienced facilitators who instead of placing blame on their clients, work to empower them with a sense of community and positive self-worth. These men are taught to appreciate and build on their own sense of worth and my Masters project focused on creating a value object to enhance their journey of change towards a non-violent life. The value creation process involved using communication design as a tool to develop a social enquiry, working to understand this community and the challenges they face. By looking at their entire system of interactions and experiences, I was able to develop a series of milestones for the men which led to the development of a key prototype. The first ‘shift’ key could be gifted to the men in the group who show a shift in their thinking and are able to engage in the process of change. The second ‘manhole cover’ key to the men who develop leaderships skills and can men-tor newer group members. The outcome of the object created a value proposition working to celebrate the milestones that these men reach. This sense of value and appreciation could also extend to the possibility of an alternative future for the men – a future without violence.