Ford's Mobility for Tomorrow | OpenIDEO
The Challenge: Co-Creating Solutions for Urban Mobility through Participatory Design
The challenge was to design innovative mobility solutions tailored to the needs of Grand Rapids residents while fostering community collaboration. Barriers such as inflexible systems, communication challenges, and access to tools were identified as key issues affecting mobility.
Approach
I led qualitative and ethnographic research efforts exploring the breadth of mobility challenges faced by our community. This initiative brought together community members, city officials, and innovators to co-create solutions for more accessible, inclusive, and empowering mobility systems.
Over 200 participants shared their stories and experiences, resulting in five core insights that shaped innovative design solutions to improve transportation and foster community connection.
Ethical Practices in Research
Shadow Studies
Journey Mapping
Design Provocations
Design Research Process
Skills Applied
Applied a range of skills, including ethnographic research, stakeholder engagement, and participatory design.
Leveraged storytelling and synthesis while fostering collaboration between residents, city officials, and global sponsors and stakeholders.
Actions Taken
Engaged with residents through in-home interviews, intercept surveys, and mobility shadowing to understand daily transportation challenges.
Synthesized our research into compelling stories and insights to guide design teams and stakeholders.
Outputs / Artifacts
Delivered polished, actionable solutions that directly addressed mobility barriers, including recommendations that were equitable and adaptable to diverse needs.
Encouraged semifinalists to refine their ideas based on community feedback and research insights.
Impact
The project resulted in over 100 innovative proposals, with a winning solution designed to address real transportation challenges.
The Mobility Challenge strengthened community connections, empowered local voices, and positioned Grand Rapids as a leader in inclusive, forward-thinking mobility systems.
Principles In Action
Empathy-driven Methods
Engaged with residents through in-home interviews, intercept surveys, and mobility shadowing to understand daily transportation challenges.
Storytelling and Insights Synthesis
Developed five actionable insights to function as design principles for the innovation/solution designers - such as designing for flexible journeys, adaptable tools, and fostering belonging through mobility solutions.
Recruiting for Extremes vs Means
Utilizing targeted recruitment methods and platforms that cater to niche demographics while ensuring ethical considerations are prioritized by clearly explaining the study’s purpose and obtaining proper consent.