How do you use your design partners and allies?

Designing for social impact is not a solo endeavor. It requires collaboration, communication, and co-creation with various stakeholders who share your vision and values. These stakeholders are your design partners and allies, and they can help you amplify your impact, learn from diverse perspectives, and overcome challenges. In this article, you will learn how to identify, engage, and leverage your design partners and allies in your social impact design process.

1 Identify your design partners and allies

Your design partners and allies are the people and organizations who have a stake in the problem you are trying to solve, the solution you are creating, or the impact you are aiming for. They can be your beneficiaries, customers, users, funders, supporters, advocates, mentors, peers, experts, or influencers. To identify them, you need to map out your ecosystem, understand their needs, goals, motivations, and challenges, and assess their potential value and contribution to your design process.

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2 Engage your design partners and allies

Once you have identified your design partners and allies, you need to engage them in a meaningful and respectful way. You need to establish trust, rapport, and mutual understanding with them, and invite them to participate in your design activities. You can use various methods and tools to engage them, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, focus groups, prototyping, testing, feedback sessions, or storytelling. The key is to make them feel valued, heard, and empowered, and to co-create solutions with them, not for them.

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David Armano

CX Strategist, Digital Innovator, and Architect of Intelligent Experiences
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Some of my most effective partners in all creative and strategic efforts including design—are the business leaders. In the context of working for firms—these were the heads of accounts who were responsible for how the account is run, how profitable it is and what the growth trajectory is. For the client—it is a combination of the lead client themselves, but also their core teams—that level directly below them that they depend on. Building trust with all of the above stakeholders is key, requires speaking the language of both business as well as the areas of expertise of each stakeholder. Trust takes time to build, but it is worth it.

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3 Leverage your design partners and allies

Your design partners and allies can offer you various benefits and opportunities to enhance your social impact design process. They can provide you with insights, data, feedback, ideas, resources, connections, advocacy, or support. To leverage them, you need to communicate clearly and regularly with them, share your vision, goals, progress, and challenges, acknowledge their contributions, and celebrate your achievements. You also need to nurture and maintain your relationships with them, and seek their input and feedback throughout your design process.

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4 Manage your design partners and allies

Working with multiple design partners and allies can also pose some challenges and risks. You may encounter conflicts, disagreements, misunderstandings, or misalignments with them. You may also face ethical, cultural, or logistical issues when engaging them. To manage them, you need to set clear expectations and boundaries with them, respect their diversity and autonomy, and resolve any issues or disputes in a constructive and respectful way. You also need to monitor and evaluate your collaboration with them, and learn from your successes and failures.

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Ivelisse Arroyo

RevOps & MOps Consultant at Curao specialized in Manufacturing & Healthcare | Digital MOps Manager | HubSpot Solutions Partner | WomenTech Network Member
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If you’ve shared the vision, set the expectations and agreed and later you start noticing misalignment, I recommend bringing it up to discuss it and resolve conflict. But from experience, it can occur you never get alignment again with design partners and allies. As soon as you feel you’re not getting progress and the growth expected, the best decision is to part ways from the collaboration.

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5 Grow your design partners and allies

As your social impact design process evolves, you may need to grow your network of design partners and allies. You may need to reach out to new or different stakeholders who can offer you new or different perspectives, insights, or resources. You may also need to scale up or down your engagement with existing stakeholders depending on their relevance, availability, or interest. To grow them, you need to constantly scan your environment, identify new opportunities or gaps, and adapt your engagement strategies accordingly.

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6 Appreciate your design partners and allies

Your design partners and allies are your most valuable assets in your social impact design process. They are the ones who help you understand, create, and deliver solutions that matter to the people and the world. They are also the ones who share your passion, vision, and values, and who inspire and motivate you to keep going. To appreciate them, you need to express your gratitude, recognition, and respect to them, and to celebrate your collective impact and achievements.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you use your design partners and allies?

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2

3

4

5

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1 Identify your design partners and allies

2 Engage your design partners and allies

3 Leverage your design partners and allies

4 Manage your design partners and allies

5 Grow your design partners and allies

6 Appreciate your design partners and allies

7 Here’s what else to consider

Social Impact

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How do you use your design partners and allies?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your design partners and allies

2 Engage your design partners and allies

3 Leverage your design partners and allies

4 Manage your design partners and allies

5 Grow your design partners and allies

6 Appreciate your design partners and allies

7 Here’s what else to consider

Social Impact

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