Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
New York City, NY
An installation in the museum’s Process Lab, Citizen Design invites visitors to engage, empathize, and help envision a better America. Inspired by the Gray Area project, a Philadelphia-based community engagement initiative featured in the exhibition By the People: Designing a Better America (which ran from September 30, 2016 to February 26, 2017), Citizen Design encourages civic dialogue at a local level. Through a series of questions and choices, visitors identify issues that personally matter and use design-thinking tactics to creatively brainstorm possible interventions. Interactive features designed for the installation allow visitors to explore how their concerns align with those of other visitors to the museum.
A CITIZEN DESIGN TOOL KIT is available to download from the website. The Kit includes the 3 different sets of interactive printed materials used in the installation to promote dialogue and creative thinking, and invites individuals to share Citizen Design with their community.
Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.
Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
New York City, NY