PD5 — It Ends and Starts Now
Here we are, at the end of our Proposal Development unit. Although it is still far from the finish line of my Major Project, the final moments of this chapter brought about new realisations and learnings for me. As the Nepalese poet and computer scientist, Santosh Kalwar said, every beginning has an end, and every end has a new beginning, right?
The following outlines some important phases in the last stretch of this unit, the methodologies I envision to use in the project, and my next steps in the following months to come.
Sharing my topic to the world
In the past two weeks, I have shared the topic of asexuality through a video pitch shared online, a 3-minute presentation in front of my cohort, and numbers of cold emails and LinkedIn messages to potential stakeholders of the project. It was hard. And scary. By talking about a vulnerable topic, which I identify as, I was also putting myself in a vulnerable position. There is always a fear of prejudice and judgement when you share something so inherently personal about you to the world. I am grateful that instead of that, I was welcomed with appreciation and encouragement, that of which I am still in awe for. A colleague even told me that after watching my pitch, that she ‘already gained knowledge from it, which shows how little we know about asexuality.’ That is exactly the reason why I am doing this project, and I hope to remind myself to keep coming back to my ‘why,’ every time I am feeling discouraged or stuck.
Stakeholders, stakeholders, where are you at?
In service design, the term ‘stakeholders’ is used a lot, which refers to individuals, groups, or entities who have the ability to influence or be influenced by any design project (Dam & Siang, 2022). Since I was working with quite a niche topic, I thought I would not find any stakeholders at all, but to my surprise, there are already a handful of actors working in this field, and many of them are based in the UK!
I then used an actor network map to visualise the involved or potentially involved stakeholders, analyse their relationships, and identify their potential of influence and impact (Giordano et al., 2018). By segregating the stakeholders from high to low involvement, and classifying them by geographical location, I was able to scope the organisations I can reach out to for this project.
Design methodologies
I first discovered the Design Justice Principles in our Collaborate Unit in early 2023, and I fell in love with it. The Design Justice reconsiders design processes, centres marginalised communities, and uses collaborative practices to address deep significant challenges (The Design Justice Network, 2018).
Everything it was considering — from designing for inclusion to prioritising impact of communities involved — was aligned to the values I uphold as a designer, and as a human being. It was partially the reason why I transitioned from project management and marketing to service design. I was tired of mechanically working in front of screens, and desired to create more meaningful work for the things and people that really matter.
Although all 10 principles are essential for the application of this methodology in my design practice, I want to specifically focus on the following:
- #1 — We live in a majorly allonormative society, which is the assumption that all human beings experience or should experience sexual and romantic attraction. Thus, those who do not fall under that are oppressed and prejudiced, such as asexuals, or those who have little to no sexual attraction towards others. With this in mind, I aim to design for the empowerment of the ace community, and seek liberation against allonormative systems.
- #2 & #6 — To centre the voices and stories of those who are directly impacted, I aim to put aces at the heart of this project. By acknowledging that they are the experts based on their own lived experiences, they will be a big contribution to the design process and outcomes. I am to consult members of the asexual community in the research, design, prototyping, testing, iteration, and delivery phase of this project.
- #10 — By inventing entirely new design solutions, we dismiss what has been, and what is already being done by the actors of the asexual community. I aim to work together with organisations that already advocate for ace awareness, and collaborate with them by bringing in my skills in service design, art, and storytelling.
With this, I envision using Design Justice as my main design methodology, supported by Participatory Design and Inclusive Design. Participatory Design, as it uses a collaborative approach that involves users (ace community) and stakeholders (ace organisations) in the design process; and Inclusive Design, to help include as many ace people as possible and understand the diversity in the community, to make better informed design decisions.
Research, research, research
I have used a variety of resources for the initial stages of my research, including books, videos, websites, forums, friends, and first-hand experiences. I am also grateful for the literature and academic studies done by experts of asexuality and service design, which I will be highlighting below.
Alison, R. and Verardi, J. (2021) ‘Including Asexual People in Services,’ Equality Network. Available at: https://www.equality-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Asexual-booklet-final-web.pdf (Accessed 01 June 2023)
This guide serves as an informative and accessible resource for gaining insights into asexuality. It offers a clear overview of asexuality, debunking common misconceptions, exploring the diverse range of asexual experiences, and addressing the unique challenges faced by asexual individuals. It provides valuable information on terminology, identity, and relationships, while also emphasising the importance of inclusivity and support. Although it was written as a guide for practitioners in the health service, it can still help me navigate the intersection between asexuality and general services.
Burgess, R. (2021) How to be ace: a memoir of growing up asexual. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
This graphic novel is a memoir that offers a personal account of growing up as an asexual individual. The author shares their experiences, challenges, and insights, providing readers with a unique perspective on asexuality. The memoir delves into topics such as self-discovery, identity formation, and navigating relationships as an asexual person. This book can help me understand the lived experiences of another asexual’s perspective; while also inspiring me to translate the difficulties of being ace into an engaging read that readers can empathise with through its visual style, humour, and personal narrative.
Design Justice Network Principles (2018) The Design Justice Network . Available at: https://designjustice.org/read-the-principles (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
This guide lays out a framework for promoting equity and justice in design practices. These principles emphasise the importance of including marginalised communities in decision-making processes, challenging power imbalances, and addressing the systemic injustices perpetuated by design. The principles advocate for designing with and for communities, centring the voices of those most affected by design decisions, and actively working towards social and environmental sustainability. Since I plan on using this as my main methodology, I will constantly check my design process to make sure it still aligns with the principles I mentioned earlier. The principles will also serve as an inspiration for me to use this project to promote positive social change and challenge the current oppressive structures.
Mollet, A.L. and Lackman, B. (2021) ‘Allonormativity and compulsory sexuality’, Encyclopedia of Queer Studies in Education, pp. 26–30. doi:10.1163/9789004506725_006.
This chapter in the anthology gives a comprehensive analysis of sexual orientation, identity, and community, with a specific focus on asexuality. It explores the complexities of the sexual orientation spectrum and discusses the impact of societal expectations on asexual individuals. This resource is highly relevant to my research on improving literacy on asexuality. It offers valuable insights into the experiences of asexual individuals within an allonormative society and emphasises the importance of public awareness and inclusivity. The chapter’s analysis and discussion can inform my project by providing a deeper understanding of asexuality and its relationship to sexual normativity.
Penin, L. (2018a) An introduction to service design: designing the invisible. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.
This book provides an introduction to the field of service design.Through exploring the principles, methods, and practical applications of service design, it highlights the significance of considering the intangible aspects of services and user experiences. With rich examples and case studies, the book tells the value of design thinking in creating meaningful and user-centred service experiences. This book will help me understand the foundations of service design with practical methods, and inspire me to actually design a service that addresses the needs and enhances experiences of the ace community.
What now?
So.. what am I doing as of now? Aside from spending hours (and hours) on desk research, I have also been conducting some field research and have scheduled networking events to engage with other aces in London. Since it is Pride month, I have signed up to some activities to get together with the LGBTQ+ community, and plan on utilising these events to make connections for possible collaborations for this project.
I also intend on finishing more readings over the summer to expand my literacy on the topic, better understand the various intersections of asexuality, and deepen my knowledge of the importance of ace awareness in greater society.
I have reached out to several stakeholders in the asexual and LGBTQ+ communities, and am currently in communication with some of them. I am still looking for more asexuals in London (or around the world!) to speak with — so if you are or you know anyone who cares about ace awareness and would like to be connected, please reach out to me on work.gabrobles@gmail.com. I would be more than happy to speak with you!
This may be the end of my blog series about this project, but this is definitely only the beginning of this journey! I will be working on this project until November 2023, so if you are interested to see how it goes, stay in touch with me through email or on my instagram (don’t be shy, I don’t bite!)
Thank you for reading this far and for *virtually* being a part of my major project roller coaster adventure! See you next time 👋
References:
Carhart, T. (2021) Design justice principles in Philanthropy Workshop: April 14th report back, The Design Justice Network. Available at: https://designjustice.org/news-1/2021/philanthropy-workshop (Accessed: 14 June 2023).
Dam, R.F. and Siang, T.Y. (2022) Stakeholder mapping: The Complete Guide to Stakeholder Maps, The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/map-the-stakeholders (Accessed: 13 June 2023).
Design Justice Network Principles (2018) The Design Justice Network. Available at: https://designjustice.org/read-the-principles (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
Giordano, F. et al. (2018) The stakeholder map: A conversation tool for designing people-led public services, ServDes. Available at: https://servdes.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/48.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2023).
Joyce, A. (2022) Inclusive Design, Nielsen Norman Group. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/inclusive-design/ (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
What is participatory design? (n.d.) The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/participatory-design (Accessed: 06 June 2023).
