What are Self-Study Resources?
Self-Study Resources include a series of Human-Centered Design (HCD) tools and resources that you can use to learn more about the needs of families, children, and providers in your community. Step-by-step instructions for interpreting what you learn are also included. All resources are available for you to access anytime at your convenience.
Resources such as additional Human-Centered Design tools and processes along with recorded webinar content will continue to be added to this page. As such, it is important to check back regularly!
Designing and Implementing Your Engagement Plan
STEP ONE
What is Human-Centered Design?
Review Webinar: Project Overview and Asking Better Questions
Begin by reviewing What is Human-Centered Design (HCD)? This provides a short overview on the HCD approach and re-familiarizes with the HCD process and language.
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STEP TWO
Light-Touch Engagement Tools
Review Blog Posts: Empathy Map , Emoji Wheel , Postcards
The Empathy Map, Emoji Wheel, and Postcard are considered “light touch” engagement tools. These tools were introduced at the in-person training that took place in Phase One. Although you may have seen and used these tools before, we recommend setting aside 30 minutes to review each of these tools and step-by-step accompanying instructions. It can often increase comfort level by trying the tools out yourself. Go ahead and give it a go!
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STEP THREE
In-Depth Engagement Tools
Review Webinar: Connecting with Children: Activity Book
Review Webinar: Connecting with Adults: Caregiver Journal
These webinars provide instructions for how to complete the in-depth engagement tools. The “in-depth” engagement tools used in the Co-Creating Well-Being project include the Activity Book and Caregiver Journal.
Use these links to access both the Activity Book and Caregiver Journal.
STEP FOUR
Create an Engagement Plan
Review Webinar: Creating an Engagement Plan
This Engagement Guide walks you through what you’ll need to consider as you decide to use the light-touch and in-depth engagement tools. We’ve simplified it into 4 key steps:
Build a Foundation
Develop A Plan
Iterate
Practice and Learn
The Guide also includes an appendix with key information to help guide decision-making as you develop your engagement plan.
STEP FIVE
Use the Engagement Tools with Clients
Review Webinar: Trauma-Informed Approach to Collecting Data
Thinking about your day-to-day work, and how often you are in front of clients, you will now put your engagement plan into action.
Please download & print the tools or request hardcopy tools via email from ccwb@hfwcny.org
Quality is more important than Quantity
In terms of insights uncovered, the difference between asking zero people and asking one person is significant
Try to use each tool with five parents, caregivers, providers, siblings, relatives, and anyone else who has an influence on the development of young children
To ensure you get good quality responses, think about a few different locations, groups, or ways you can use the engagement tools to ensure diverse participation.
Ask yourself “Who haven’t we/I heard from?” and “How might we learn from people that haven’t ever used our services?”
Always remember to bring a trauma-informed lens when using the engagement tools
You are a capable partner in empowering people and affirming their autonomy and dignity
Listen deeply and ask the questions only as they make sense
Never interject, re-define, or paraphrase a person’s experience. Just take word-for-word notes
Consider that children who have experienced trauma often have poor verbal skills, difficulty with memory, and may have trouble focusing. Be patient and give the child as much time as they need to reflect and end the conversation if you see signs of distress
For more information on trauma-informed approaches, review these video resources developed by the trauma-informed care members of the Co-Creating Well-Being project team.
Asking about Trauma
Responding to Trauma
Creating Safe Spaces
Looking for a place to start?
If you have a group that regularly meets, you may be able to ask clients to individually step aside for 5 minutes to fill out an emoji wheel, postcard, or empathy map. You can also ask them to fill it out just before or just after the session.
If you have clients that come in for regular appointments, you may offer them the opportunity to participate following their appointment.
If you want to connect with folks that don’t regularly access your services, you may want to think about a different location—where they are going anyway—at which you may be able to connect with them.
STEP SIX
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve reviewed and practiced all the Self-Study tools! You can now put these resources to use right away and learn more about the viewpoints of children and families who access your services!
Take some time to reflect on your experience and then review the next section: “Analyzing and Interpreting Information”
Analyzing and Interpreting Information from the Engagement Tools
Review Webinar: Interpreting and Reporting Data
STEP ONE
Collect the Data
Gather the engagement tools you’ve collected
Sort engagement tools by type
Read through the tools you’ve collected
Jot down 5-10 key gut reactions to what you’ve reviewed
STEP TWO
Transcribe Initial Insights
Transcribe (word-for-word) key phrases and quotes onto sticky notes
Remember: only one phrase or quote per sticky note
Each engagement tool should generate between 1-50 sticky notes
STEP THREE
Uncover the Findings
Using all the sticky notes you’ve transcribed, create clusters of sticky notes
Make sure phrases and quotes are clustered by similarities
After all your sticky notes are clustered, create vertical columns of sub-clusters
Name each sub-cluster by adding a box around the edges of the title card sticky note
STEP FOUR
Uncover the Themes
Use the title card sticky notes from each sub-cluster
Create new clusters and sub-clusters of title cards, grouping similar sets together
Use a larger sticky note pad to create Theme names for each cluster of title cards
STEP FIVE
Uncover the Insights
Use the Theme name cards from the last step
Create new clusters and sub-clusters of Theme cards
Make connections between the cards in each cluster so that they are grouped by context
STEP SIX
Seek Feedback
Report your insights about the community back to your client base and related stakeholders
Discuss the findings, themes, and insights to learn which ones are more important
Ask for feedback on your understanding
Adjust insights as needed
Insights Report
The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York is focused, in part, on assisting families in accessing the care, information, and tools they need so that children impacted by poverty are physically, socially, intellectually, and emotionally ready for school. In 2018, the Health Foundation launched the Co-Creating Well-Being: Supporting Children and Families Through Trauma Initiative in support of this goal.
To learn about our progress so far, we have collaboratively developed an Insights Report to share back with the communities that helped shape it. Download the executive summary or the full report here:
As you move forward into ideation and prototyping, these Detailed Insights Summaries for central and western New York will be used as an input and stepping stone for ideation generation:
As you read through the Insights, think about and record your responses to the following questions:
What stands out to me?
What spoken and unspoken challenges
are represented in the Insights?
What strengths are people communicating
through these Insights?
Which solutions to existing challenges are currently
working and which are in need of improvement?
What are some new solutions that don’t already exist
for these challenges?
What do I need to take from this to improve
what I am doing?
Now that I know these things, how do they
square up with what we are doing?
Informational Webinar
To help everyone better understand the structure of the report and how it will shape our thinking as we move toward Phase Three, the project team hosted a webinar.
Hosting an Ideation Workshop
Looking for inspiration on ideation? Feel free to start with the example structure the Co-Creating Well-Being team has shared here (and in the webinar below). Other methods and examples of ideation activities are available from Design Kit, Essential Ideation Skills, and Aging By Design.
Before the Workshop
Send out invites to children, family and caregivers who may be interested in co-designing ideas. Ensure clarity of session purpose
Send out appropriate session materials in advance (e.g., link to Insights Report)
Choose a session leader and ensure that they feel confident to facilitate the session
During the Workshop
Distribute printed copies of the Personas.
Ask participants to discuss in groups of 3 - 4:
Do these Personas remind you of anyone you know?
What resonates? What is missing?
Write out your prompt question:
HMW improve services for children, families, and caregivers which address toxic stress, trauma, and well-being?
To begin defining a problem to work on, use the HMW questions as a base. Review in groups of 3 - 4 and ask “What is missing?”
Start solo. Ask each person to take 3 - 5 minutes to individually write down their ideas in response to the prompt question
In groups of 3 - 4 people, share your ideas. Combine and extend
Cluster ideas “like with like” into columns
Name the clusters: Try giving the cluster a meaningful name and draw a frame on the sticky note to signify that it is a title
Participants Dot vote for their favorite ideas. Distribute 3 dots to each participant to vote for their favorite cluster. Participants can “power vote” if they feel that an idea is really important or spread out the dots.
End with a group reflection and take notes:
What did we do today?
What was a high point/low point?
Did you have any learnings or “aha” moments?
What is a takeaway from today that you want to carry forward?
After the Workshop
Take a photo of clustered sticky note
Send a follow-up email to participants with photo and notes from the reflection as well as next steps
Workshop Materials
3x3 sticky notes
Sharpies
Printed copies of Personas for each group
Printed copies of HMW questions for each group
Participant sign-in list (if they wish to receive follow-up communication)
Flip chart paper
Dot stickers for voting (can also use Sharpies)
Computer or notebook to take notes during the reflection
Ideation Webinar
The Ideation Webinar will help you and your clients put the findings of the Insights Report into action. The webinar includes suggested ideation activities and information on how to run an ideation workshop.
Hosting a Prototyping Workshop
Looking for inspiration on prototyping? Feel free to start with the example structure the Co-Creating Well-Being team has shared here (and in the webinar below). Other methods and examples of prototyping activities are available from Design Kit, Overlap Associates, and Aging By Design.
Before the Workshop
Send out invites to children, family and caregivers, as well as providers who may be interested in prototyping ideas. Ensure clarity of session purpose
Send out appropriate session materials in advance (e.g., output from Ideation sessions)
Choose a session leader and ensure that they feel confident to facilitate the session
During the Workshop
Distribute any summaries emerging from the Ideation sessions. Have a few copies of the Insights Report on hand
Facilitator shares prototyping principles and relevant examples from today’s webinar
In groups of 3-4 people:
Groups decide on an idea they want to prototype (dot vote, if needed)
Prototype! Take time to build out the idea
Get feedback from other groups in the room using the Feedback Grid
Incorporate feedback
Build a plan for getting more feedback
End with a group reflection (and take notes):
What did we do today?
What was a high point/low point?
Did you have any learnings or “aha” moments?
What is a takeaway from today that you want to carry forward?
After the Workshop
Take a photo of the prototypes and document all plans for getting more feedback
Send a follow-up email thanking participants for their participation along with next steps
Workshop Materials
Printed copies of any Ideation session materials and a few copies of the Insights Report
White and colored paper
Pens, markers, pencil crayons
Craft materials (e.g. pipe cleaners, scissors, glue, string, fabric, stickers, Play-Doh)
Magazines and other images for collaging
Dot stickers for prioritizing
Participant sign-in list (if they wish to receive follow-up communication
Prototyping Webinar
The Prototyping Webinar will help you and your clients put the findings of the Ideation Workshop into action. The webinar includes suggested prototyping activities and information on how to run a prototyping workshop.
OTHER TOOLS TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY
Start Solo
Start solo is a general process that can be used in any situation such as a meeting where two or more people are coming together to share ideas. This is a foundational approach in human-centered design to maximize the most of many minds. As you review this post, imagine how you might start solo at your next meeting
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Feedback Grid
The Feedback Grid is a general tool that can be used in any situation where you are looking to get constructive feedback from two or more people.
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If you would like to share additional comments or suggestions for improvement, please send us a note about your experience at ccwb@hfwcny.org