14 weeks | In collaboration with Julian Pastin, RX Director of Social Enterprise
Skills: Research, Synthesis, Ideation, Workshop Facilitation, Prototyping
Rebuilding Exchange Warehouse is a not-for-profit organization that follows a circular economy business model by reusing building materials, reducing construction waste, and training the residents of Chicago through their woodworking workshops.
Rebuilding Exchange has been introducing sustainable lifestyles and behavior change towards sustainability through woodworking workshops using reclaimed materials and selling their products under their brand. They would like to expand this activity by offering new and unique woodworking workshops.
This new workshop will provide an attractive experience for new users with interesting content and affordable prices. Rebuilding Exchange’s instructors want to teach, materials are available, and it is profitable considering the cost of materials, labor, and preparation time.
Rebuilding Exchange has been introducing sustainable lifestyles and behavior change towards sustainability through woodworking workshops using reclaimed materials and selling their products under their brand. They would like to expand this activity by offering new and unique woodworking workshops.
This new workshop will provide an attractive experience for new users with interesting content and affordable prices. Rebuilding Exchange’s instructors want to teach, materials are available, and it is profitable considering the cost of materials, labor, and preparation time.
Deliverables
Project Overview
Our first step was to visit the Rx Warehouse to gain an understanding of its offerings and potential. We also had the chance to interview Julian, the Director of Social Enterprise.
Next, we began our primary research by interviewing professional woodworkers, maker space instructors, and Chicago residents who are into woodworking and other crafts.
We conducted a survey amongst the students and alumni of the Institute of Design to gauge their interest levels and the types of products they would like to build.
Our primary research revealed interesting points of view on woodworking and taking classes to make objects out of wood. We understood that different people have different values and priorities when signing up for an RX class.
We conducted a survey amongst the students and alumni of the Institute of Design to gauge their interest levels and the types of products they would like to build.
Our primary research revealed interesting points of view on woodworking and taking classes to make objects out of wood. We understood that different people have different values and priorities when signing up for an RX class.
Survey report conducted within ID
Research synthesis and insight generation
In addition to our interviews and surveys, we had hands-on experience working with wood in order to acquire a contextual understanding and familiarity with the relevant tools.
Through this, we identified 4 types of audiences who fall under the beginner and veteran categories.
Creating new products and courses for these distinct demographics will attract more individuals. To expand the demographic of RX students, however, it is not sufficient to introduce new classes.
RX needs to address the barriers that people face when trying to get through the door.
To address these barriers and develop improved solutions, we collaborated with the workshop instructors to generate ideas during the workshop.
In the second phase, which consisted of ideation and prototyping, with all of the research and workshop insights. We developed a set of design parameters that would make the design-creation process enjoyable and manageable for instructors and students. We began sketching by hand and combining our concepts for evaluation and refinement.
We built our initial prototypes out of corrugated sheets before developing the final full-size version out of wood.
Phase: development of the story and final deliverable
Our team went to the RX warehouse with the prototypes to give a presentation.
Thank You !
