Designing Asset Mapping Tools to Transform Local Community Narratives

UX Research & Design Concepts

The purpose of the Asset Mapping Toolkit is to fill the gap we identified by providing organizations with tools to lead conversations around community asset mapping. The tools inside help facilitate conversations, develop common language, and engage with assets once they’ve been identified. We also found that a tool that supports these findings does not already exists.

Role: Designer and Researcher. I worked in a group of four UX designers. We had one Project Manager, three researchers and two designers.

How might we rethink asset mapping as an opportunity to create a shared artifact that can be broadly shared by an entire neighborhood?

We take a Human-Centered Design approach to problem solving by focusing on the user's needs.

• Focus on People: We put our user's needs first and always think of who we're designing for.

• Identify the Right Problem: Through inquiry and analysis we identify our user's pain points before designing a solution.

• Think about the big picture: We think about the big picture to design a good user experience at all touch points.

We found was a gap in the asset mapping process where there is room for communities to have structured conversations and develop a shared language.

DESIGN

Our asset mapping toolkit consisted of five tools to aid community conversations and engagement. Originally, we planned to design a digital platform. As we interviewed Chicago Peace Fellows, we found many of the communities who would be utilizing our toolkit did not have stable access to technology or the internet.

This toolkit helps community organizations identify and leverage community assets, including the identification of any barriers to accessing those assets, such as language or what constitutes as an asset. Additionally, the tools inside this kit will help facilitate conversations, develop a common language, and engage with assets once they’ve been identified.

onboarding booklet

The objective of the onboarding guide is to get the participants acquainted with the tools inside of the toolkit and provide overview of the asset mapping process.The onboarding booklet includes instructions on:

1. Creating a vision statement

2. Defining meeting objectives

3. Defining meeting roles

4. How to use each tool inside the toolkit

maps resource

The first objective of this map is to provide information on how organizations can obtain a map to start their asset mapping process. The second part of the map provides follow-up questions that organizations should consider once they’ve identified an asset. 

conversation cards

The objective of the conversation cards is to help organization leaders have and facilitate meaningful conversations around their organization’s approach to asset mapping. The cards build upon each other in the order of:

1. Ice Breakers

2. Know Your Community

3. Community Resources

4. Resources in Actions

defining terms

The objective of this activity is to allow organization leaders to develop a shared understanding of key terms associated with the asset mapping process.

Terms: Community Wealth, Community Leadership, Community Values and Create Your Own

resource list

The objective of the resource list is to provide organization leaders with information to drive community action. It can be of value during conversations around assets and asset mapping by pointing to existing resources organizations achieve their goals.

EVALUATION

Initially our idea was to test the toolkit in person by visiting each organization's location and seeing how they conduct workshop using this toolkit. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19 we conducted online evaluations instead. We conducted 11 online evaluations consisting of 6 ABCD faculty and 5 organization leaders.

Our motive was to receive feedback on each section of the toolkit, so we conducted an exploratory study to gather assessment data about the effectiveness and usage of the toolkit. Based off of our evaluations, we altered the designs as follows.

“I think the term onboarding might be confusing to people. Instead, try something like, ‘here’s a quick overview,’ to allow something more accessible than the term onboarding.”

In addition, users suggest that they need questions to capture people and their talents; not just programs.

“Change into more people-centered questions rather than just place. Use everyday language!”

“Change the image to people, indicating the know your community section is for both people and places”

Three out of 11 users felt great about resources in actions and questions associated with those.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Asset Mapping Toolkit offered a unique opportunity to learn about diverse communities within Chicago’s South and West side. Designing for social good has a huge impact, especially for diverse communities.

Our initial plan was to test our toolkit in person by going to various workshops organized by the community leaders. However, our plan changed drastically with the immersion of COVID-19 so we had to pivot and host evaluations remotely.

future validation

In the future, we would love to compile our research, design and various iterations together to compile a research paper and design a virtual version of our physical toolkit.