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How might we build awareness about transgender issues in educational institutions to improve organizational culture & research across key stakeholders?
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I introduce a new service design unit to educational institutions in order to counteract the overt and institutional marginalization of trans* identities and enabling a fruitful discourse.
Context
People with trans* identities live unique experiences mirroring underlying societal power dynamics. With the responsibility to evolve societal norms and to counteract ongoing transphobia, Universities increasingly anchor the experiences of identities outside the normative narrative in their culture, curricula, and day-to-day operations.
Unfortunately, even progressive universities like The New School lack tools and services that cater directly to the needs of folks with variant genders, which makes it difficult for students, staff, and faculty to explore and learn about identity contingencies. Education bears the potential to seed new norms, because for many youth in the US, attending University signifies a crucial transition into adulthood and self-advocacy.
Solution
The Office of Gender Identity (OGI) is a university-wide service center that advocates for a gender-inclusive culture. It caters to the university population’s specific needs to allow for a fruitful discourse on gender contingencies.
Framed under 4 core competencies – advocacy, engagement, learning, mentorship –, the OGI delivers tailored services, tools, and engagement programs that enhance the day-to-day experience of all groups at the university.
All offerings are accessible via a digital application, which also provides in-app activities for self-reflection about one’s own gender identity, because “if you can’t love yourself, how the hell’ya gonna love somebody else?” (RuPaul).
1
System Insight
Many educational institutions lack tools and experience in facilitating a discourse about gender identity, even though their liberal agendas advocate for diversity and empowerment of minorities.
3
Prototype Insight
Graduate students, high school students, and staff members who are passionate about progressive gender norms endorsed the ‘Gender Menu‘ and the ‘Pathways to Gender Identity‘ Workshop toolkit and its unique design.
2
Human Insight
During moments of transition (e.g. when someone moves out from home to attend university), individuals are most vulnerable, but most malleable when it comes to acquiring and experimenting with new societal norms regarding identity.
Office of Gender Identity
A university-wide service-center for gender inclusivity
2017
Client/Partner
The New School University Health Center
Topics
Org. Change, Diversity & Inclusion, Education
Approaches
Applied User Research, Service Design, Participatory Design, UX Design
Output
Toolkit, Masterclass, Service Strategy, System & Service Blueprints, Digital Mock-Up
