How a Design Sprint helped Phivolcs and World Bank build a platform for sustainable human settlements
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Overview
DOST-Phivolcs and World Bank are on a mission to integrate nationwide data to help save lives and rebuild communities. We are thrilled to be part of a project that will help improve the lives of our countrymen.
Our initial project earlier this year was with PlanSmart for Safe Schools with DepEd. Now, we’re working with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to design PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements (Plansmart-SHS)
The Challenge
Client Background: DHSUD launched the PLANADO (Plan & Do) Program, an initiative to streamline and digitalize land use and urban planning and development processes toward enhancing the building smart, green, resilient, and inclusive human settlements across the nation. This was truly a collaborative effort with almost 50 people from various organizations such as DOST-Phivolcs, DHSUD Regional Offices, DENR, LGU offices, the UN , the World Bank, and many more.
Problem: This project has multiple stakeholders, users, and a multitude of must-have and good-to-have features. How might we bring them all together to effectively produce tangible solutions that developers can start producing?
Solution & Target Output: By the end of the workshop, we were expected to have at least five high-fidelity prototypes for the varying user types, stitched together.
Design Sprint: Day-by-Day Activities
Day 1 - Identifying Goals and Risks
The day started with presentations by subject matter experts to align everyone. We skipped the persona-making activity and went straight to Expert Interviews. Participants from five groups prepared questions, conducted interviews, grouped their notes, and aligned priorities—all within a 2-hour session!
We then did a goal-setting and risk identification process called Goals & Questions. Goal statements started with “In 2 years’ time…” while risks were framed as questions starting with “Can we…?”
Day 1 ended with homework assigned for a Lightning Demo activity.
One of the groups set the following goal: By 2026, we are able to provide ecological profile for 200 LGUs through “PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements Platform”.
Some risks they identified include:
Can we build a platform or database that will be stable or support 200 LGUs eco-profile?
Can we get NGAs to share their data in the platform?
Can we get additional funding and support for a wide roll-out (200 LGUs)
Day 2 - Defining the Solution
On Day 2, participants shared their findings to their teams, allows them to quickly find and share a ton of ideas and inspirations to shape the day's solutions! Next, we guided teams in mapping the user experience and identifying focus areas for conceptualizing solutions. Each group presented their maps to ensure alignment.
Before idea generation, we defined the end users. Not our usual approach but it worked today! Now that we know who we’re building for, we engaged in a 4-step solution sketch activity to warm up their creative juices and sketch their awesome concept ideas. Once the winning concept was decided, we determined how it would work step-by-step in words, merging it into a low-fidelity prototype!
Check out some of their user experience maps, user personas, and storyboard below.
Day 3 - Developing the High-Fidelity Prototype
We had so much to do yesterday that we ran out of time for the groups to present their amazing creations! That's where we started today, to ensure everyone is on the same page before moving into high-fidelity prototyping.
To prepare, we ensured that everyone could use our chosen Virtual Whiteboard, Miro. That’s where they migrated their work from low to high fidelity. Each group had uninterrupted creative time, with periodic check-ins to present progress. These check-ins were instrumental in showcasing outputs and addressing any concerns.
Day 4 - More Prototyping & Stitching
In the morning, there was more prototyping, with each check-in showing progress. In the afternoon, we ended the workshop with each group presenting their output, and the project leaders providing guidance and insight on the plans for the future.
The day ended with the brilliant women Mabee Cahulogan and other project leaders presenting the certifications, followed by a group photo of the class.
The Output
As expected, there were changes in the output from what was originally envisioned at the start of the workshop.
Each group successfully created a high-fidelity prototype for the PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements Platform, which will be utilized by multiple stakeholders.
View photos here. Download the full case study above to learn more.
Key Insight
The Design Sprint is an excellent tool for fostering collaboration among various stakeholders.
The PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements is more than just a project by DSHUD. it is a collaborative effort involving multiple government agencies, including DOST, DENR, and LGUs, with support from the UN and World Bank. With such a diverse range of stakeholders and users, the process of creating the platform and its various features can be overwhelming.
A Design Sprint can streamline this process by breaking it down into manageable steps: aligning goals, evaluating risks, brainstorming, drawing storyboards, and creating low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
All of this can be accomplished in just 4 days! This eliminates the need for numerous meetings and lengthy planning periods. By using a Design Sprint, we can develop government programs more efficiently, ensuring they are tailored to meet users' needs and ultimately benefit the Filipinos more effectively.
What do they say about us?
“I am humbled and thankful because we (our office) were invited here. This is a great opportunity for a millennial technical government staff like me whose only goal is to do something “different” for the LGUs and communities. I am makabayan at heart.”
“Carlo is a great facilitator. He was able to use effectively the design thinking tools to facilitate necessary discussion and thought processing of a large group to attain the objectives of the workshop. ”
