As we’ve been honing out concept and reiterating our design in Unit 3, I’ve been reflecting on the need for uniqueness in our design. In the feedback provided by instructors, it was clear that we need to ensure our design is either adding something new or building off what already exists. Following up on this feedback has led me to discover many exciting youth programs that already exist and that closely resemble our project; one such program is Youth Climate Lab. The Youth Climate Lab is a youth led organization that uses design thinking and works in partnership, including internationally and with indigenous communities, to “accelerate youth-led climate policy, projects and businesses” (Youth Climate Lab, n.d., Who We Are Section). As I explore these existing initiatives, I am stalled in my progress with our design concept: what is the value of creating something new – in our case a program for high-school students that guides them through the design thinking process to build climate solutions – rather than lending our support to a youth-led initiative such as Youth Climate Lab? As we learned in CALS502 – Communication for Climate Action and as shared in instructor feedback, youth are much more motivated to learn from a trusted source and from their peers (Hodson, 2019; personal communication, December 17, 2021). As well, youth often feel stifled by adult leadership. In one study, for example, young climate activists described adult-led initiatives as having aims and approaches that are sometimes incongruous for youth; research participants also felt that unless executive power was in youth’s hands, hierarchical power dynamics are inevitable (Elsen & Ord, 2021, Enabling Empowerment Section). I realize that we are welcome to build off existing initiatives in our design challenge; that said, I can’t help but feel regret that we didn’t consult with end users right from the beginning. It seems problematic to design something for youth, without centring their priorities and perspectives from the outset. I agree that “we gain empathy through conversations with end users. Design thinking holds that the person who experiences the problem has part of the solution and has an understanding of the context to/within which the solution will need to respond” (Royal Roads University, n.d., p.3). What power dynamics exist between us as designers and youth, and are we reinforcing those dynamics through our process? What is my value-added as an adult in designing a program for youth and how can it be right to initiate a project for them, unless they are leading from the beginning?
As I continue to work on decolonizing my perspective in CALS503– Climate Risk Management, I find myself slowing down to uncover underlying assumptions and taken for granted approaches. As Tuhiwai Smith explains, the dominant Western worldview that I was raised with contains oppressive and hierarchical rules and approaches that are taken for granted and thus often unconscious (2012, p.93-96). While Tuhiwai Smith’s work explores the impacts of the Western worldview on Indigenous Peoples in a research context, I see parallels with how youth might experience working and learning relationships with adults. This reflection brings me back to the drawing board when it comes to our design concept – as adults, is it even appropriate for us to be designing a youth program? These questions, as disruptive to our process as they may be, are helping me to unpack my assumptions and centre the end-user as I question my role and contributions to Climate Action Leadership.
References
Elsen, F., & Ord, J. (2021). The Role of Adults in “Youth Led” Climate Groups: Enabling Empowerment. Frontiers in Political Science. 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2021.641154
Hodson, J. (2019). An ecological model of climate marketing: A conceptual framework for understanding climate science related attitude and behavior change. Cogent Social Sciences 5(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1625101
Royal Roads University (n.d.) CALS 501 Learning Intensive – Design Thinking Process Worksheet. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://commons.royalroads.ca/cals501/wp-content/uploads/sites/97/2021/05/CAL-501-Design-Thinking-Learning-Intensive-Process-Worksheet-May-11-2021.pdf
Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2012).Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples (2nd edition). Zed Books. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/royalroadsebooks/detail.action?docID=1426837
Youth Climate Lab (n.d.) Who We Are Section. https://www.youthclimatelab.org/team