Stories from the GID Lab

Updating the Blueprint for Black Excellence with the Institute for Black Justice

How might we update the blueprint for Black excellence that began in Tacoma in 1969?

This design question derives from the historic Mother's Day Disturbance in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood on May 11, 1969. A direct response to police brutality, the Mother's Day Disturbance cultivated a critical shift in the struggle for civil rights and the evolution of Black representation in Tacoma’s politics..

Partnership with iDEA High School

In January 2022, the GID Lab team met with iDEA School Mathematic Instructors Mari Thiersch and Jennifer Flonacher, and their newly formed STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Social Innovation Lab to explore a new partnership around innovation and design...

Projects for Newly Arrived Afghan Refugees

Students in the winter quarter TGID 320 Design and Innovation Studio class, taught by IIGE Visiting Lecturer and Artist in Residence Janeil Engelstad, are working on prototypes that will provide resources to recently arrived refugees from Afghanistan.

Looking for Most Innovative Social Media Influencers!

The Global Innovation and Design Lab is launching its first-ever Social Media Influencer competition! For questions please contact the GID Lab at globalid@uw.edu.

Resilience in Salishan, Tacoma

In collaboration with United Way of Pierce County’s (UWPC) Resilient Pierce County Team, the GID Lab team facilitated two design thinking workshops with eight residents of the Salishan community. Beginning with the prototypes developed at the 2020 UWPC From Poverty to Possibilities Summit, participants split into two groups and iterated their own community solutions to address barriers to accessing health and human services such as affordable childcare, food accessibility, and mental/behavioral health resources for youth.

Innovation Through Design Thinking

Dr. Divya McMillin’s TBUS 590: Innovation Through Design Thinking course, with interim Assistant Director Krissy Kimura and Administrative Specialist Lan Allison assisting, is the second of many collaborations between the Global Innovation and Design Lab and the Milgard School of Business.

Institute for Black Justice Freedom Summer Symposium

Join us for the Design Challenge at the Institute for Black Justice’s Freedom Summer Symposium!

Fall Update

Academic Year 2020 is off to a great start in the Global Innovation and Design Lab with three community projects already underway. Our students are actively involved, with each event open to all UW Tacoma students. 

STAYING SAFE, CONNECTED, AND PRODUCTIVE IN A REMOTE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Written By: Abdul Abubakar, Anh Lam, and Staff

As social distancing becomes increasingly necessary across the United States and around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our traditional ways of working are being disrupted. A recent report from Gartner.com indicates 74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work even after the pandemic. Bearing this in mind, the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab focused on shifting its attention towards being successful in a fully remote workplace during Spring 2020.

New Minor in Innovation and Design

Our new Minor in Innovation and Design, open to all majors across campus starting in Winter 2021, is designed to equip undergraduate students with the ways of thinking, creating, and intervening in problems in the world in a way that invites collaboration, engages people and communities, and does so with ethical engagement.

8 Tips and Tricks to Enhance your Zoom Experience

Written by: Mailyn Abon and Staff

Like many of you working from home, the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab team has been working together through video conferencing software, specifically Zoom. The hardest part about this pandemic is having to get used to what may be our new “normal.” Despite being forced to use an online tool that most of us were not familiar with, I would say that we have adapted well. 

Innovation at UW Tacoma’s GID Lab

Written by: Abdul Abubakar and Staff

Over Winter 2020, I developed a video to bring more awareness to the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab. The 60-second long video provides the viewer with a brief introduction to the GID Lab at the University of Washington Tacoma, identifies who the Lab is for (students, faculty, and community members), and why it is an important space on our campus.

Designing our Shared Futures: CONNECTING STUDENTS TO THE COMMUNITY

On a sunny Friday afternoon, over forty students and community leaders from the South Sound gathered for a workshop in William Philip Hall focused on the central question,

“How might we collaborate to prepare students for the workforce and build a thriving community for all?” 

What better way to tackle this issue than with a collaborative, hands-on, and creative design thinking workshop.

DESIGN THINKING FOR TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP WITH PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY ACT SIX SCHOLARS

Act Six identifies and rewards scholars who are passionate about learning, eager to foster intercultural relationships, willing to step out of their comfort zones, committed to serving those around them, and want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home. At Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) this includes about 25 students from freshmen to seniors. Executive Director Dr. Divya McMillin of the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab was invited to facilitate two workshops for the PLU Act Six scholars on October 19 and November 16, 2019.

DESIGNING SOLUTIONS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH UNITED WAY OF PIERCE COUNTY

United Way of Pierce County’s annual Poverty to Possibilities Summit on November 12, 2019, opened up an exciting project for the GID Lab. From an initial question of “What are the barriers to affordable housing?” to “How might we create a solution to Affordable Housing that is practical and sustainable?”, the GID team, led by Executive Director Dr. Divya McMillin, engaged in a three-month-long effort to generate innovative and far reaching solutions to affordable housing. 

STUDENTS APPLY HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AT THE 2019 GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE

The 2019 Global Engagement Conference showcased emerging designers and innovations from UW Tacoma. Four teams presented their ideas to address food insecurity issues on campus and in the greater Tacoma community.Principles of engaged human-centered design permeated their innovation process.

UPS AND DOWNS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS: LEARNING FROM CURVEBALLS AND EMBRACING CHANGE

Design thinking is best learned through practice – and failure too. In TWRT 350 Principles of User Centered Design, students experienced the ups and downs of the design process for themselves. Preconceived notions in the designer’s mind are often overturned during the empathizing, prototyping and testing phases of design. Several examples illustrate how this dynamic plays out in the classroom.

DEEPENING EMPATHY THROUGH DESIGN: APPLIED LEARNING WITH THE NORTH PIERCE COUNTY COMMUNITY COALITION

Students from TCOM 420 applied their design skills to create a website for the North Pierce County Community Coalition. Both groups benefited. The coalition gained an online presence tailor-made for their users. Students gained a deeper appreciation for ongoing work to alleviate deep community needs.

INSPIRATION THROUGH EXPLORATION: HOW DESIGN PRINCIPLES INFUSE JEREMY GREGORY’S ARTISTIC PROCESS

Tacoma-based artist Jeremy Gregory dreams up whimsical creations across mediums. Although he’s comfortable with letting his imagination run wild, he sees the design process as a timeless way to structure exploration and relentlessly search for the best expressions of creativity. A resident artist of the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab, he is excited about collaborating with others to stretch community imaginations.