Youth Empowerment through Human Centered Design

Situation

This project was designed for the members of the Y-Investment Club at YMCA Madagascar. This dynamic group consists of approximately 40 young individuals, aged 18 to 30, who gather to explore themes of entrepreneurship and investment.

Assignment

As part of their activities, I conducted sessions aimed at fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among these young members. Through a series of interactive workshops and practical exercises, participants learned to identify and understand user needs, generate innovative ideas, and prototype viable solutions. This program’s goal is to empower these young leaders to become change-makers within their communities and future professional environments by adopting a human-centered approach to innovation.

Approach

The “Youth Empowerment through Human-Centered Design” project leverages the principles of Design Thinking to equip young members of the Y-Investment Club at YMCA Madagascar with practical skills in innovation and user-centred design. The half-day workshop is structured to provide a hands-on learning experience, guiding participants through the essential phases of Design Thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

  • Phase I Empathize: conducting interviews and role play.
  • Phase II Define: creating a problem statement that reflects the core user needs and challenges.
  • Phase III Ideate: using the 6 Thinking Hats Technique.
  • Phase IV Prototype: developing quick prototyping to explore multiple solutions.
  • Phase V Test: Prototype presentation and feedback gathering.

Results

The “Youth Empowerment through Human-Centered Design” project profoundly impacts participants by fostering an innovative mindset and enhancing their problem-solving skills. Through the application of Design Thinking principles, participants are encouraged to think creatively and explore unconventional solutions.

This project was commissioned by Y-Investment Club and performed by GaĆ«lle as an affiliate of YMCA Madagascar. She is also a member of the Proportion Global community. If youā€™ve enjoyed reading this case and want to dive deeper, weā€™d love to hear from you and we will connect you with relevant designers like GaĆ«lle, who worked on this project Contact Us

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