
Transforming the Volunteer Experience: A Case Study with the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross
Find out how our team took an innovative approach to improving the volunteer experience for The American Red Cross.
We’re always looking to stay sharp around the Collabo office, so when our beloved visual experience designer asked the rest of us for some “must have” designerly book recommendations, we jumped on it. Below are just a few of our faves, with a few words as to why we love these books to begin with.
Maria’s Pick
When I decided to return to school for my MFA in Design Thinking and Design Leadership, I struggled to explain what I was learning to my family, “It’s kind-of like an MBA but it’s creative – you can apply it to anything!” This book provides an accessible introduction to design thinking and how to apply it to something everyone has – a life.
I’ve recommended this book to friends seeking career change, my parents as they approach retirement, and students graduating from high school. It’s a great was to look at design thinking the way we do here at Collabo —as techniques you can use every day.
Niki’s Pick
When I was learning about Design Thinking and practicing the different skills, I got introduced to Jon’s Kolko book Exposing the Magic of Design. For me, it was my to go back to book when I need to take a step back in trying to make sense of data. Kolko presents a theory of design synthesis in a simple and concise manner that can be applied to any design problem, as well, he talks about the importance of synthesis, what abductive reasoning is, and why we should care about these. Personally, my brain tends to ideate all the time, after reading this book I have been training my brain to be aware in the moment of when I need to be Ideating and when I need to be synthesizing information. In this book he introduces some practical methods.
Pamela’s Pick
Bryan Lawson & Kees Dorst, for me, are two godfathers of design expertise. In their book, “Design Expertise,” they aim to explore and demistify what knowledge, skills, attributes and experiences are necessary in order to design well. At Collabo, when we teach and talk about “Designerly Skills,” they are inextricably tied to the 5 skills highlighted in this book: ‘formulating’, ‘moving’, ‘representing’, ‘evaluating’, and ‘reflecting’. This book is a must for creating foundational knowledge of design as a discipline.
Terri’s Pick
I love this book. Although the concept of “design having the potential for huge impact in our rapidly changing world” may seem a bit “old hat” today, for me, The Power of Design: A Force for Transforming Everything is still one of my all time favorite design books—especially for anyone who’s new to Design Thinking or People-centered Design.
In this quick little read, Farson lays out compelling real-world examples to illustrate how design, or better put, big D—Design, is ingrained in everything we create and thus provides near endless opportunity for us to take control and begin to lead the change we put out into the world. This was truly an inspirational book in my journey to becoming a Designer.
Find out how our team took an innovative approach to improving the volunteer experience for The American Red Cross.
Learn from Indiana’s largest healthcare provider about how patient journey mapping is leading to higher satisfaction.
Learn how a task force of stakeholders across campus leadership and community partners were able to identify key problems to creating a desirable campus experience.
Whether you’re looking to innovate, solve complex challenges, or simply take your project to the next level, we’re here to make it happen.
1510 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis IN, 46202
317-721-9055
hello@collaboxd.com