Now that we have installed our interventions in the courthouse, observed their success and had some time to reflect, I have begun to really think about the impact we had on the courthouse and the users. While setting up our interventions, there were some curious bystanders who were a bit unsure about what they saw. However, as soon as we took the time to explain our intentions – to address some of the issues in the courthouse and make a better experience for the users – the employees were immediately onboard. They were just as excited as us to see how everything played out. Some offered their immediate reactions to the interventions and others even offered to help us observe and determine the success of the designs.
I found it
very exciting that our excitement was rubbing off on other people. The
employees became part of our efforts as they observed and reflected on the interventions.
The fact that they were telling us their opinions, suggesting improvements and
critiquing our designs meant that we had inspired them to think deeply about
our intentions. They began saying “what if you did this or that” and you could
tell they were really excited about the potential of these interventions.
While the
original plan had been to remove the interventions after a few days, the
employees at the courthouse were so inspired by our efforts, satisfied by our
designs and intrigued at the potential of them, that they decided to keep them.
I think this reaction to our interventions was one of the most exciting parts
of the entire process. As a designer, it is my hope to inspire others to tackle
challenges through design thinking, whether it be directly related to
architecture or not. This process definitely allowed me to experience what it
is like to inspire others through design efforts.
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| our intervention on the benches in the courthouse hallways |
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| our intervention in the clerk's office waiting room |