As a transdisciplinary designer, researcher and strategist, I use insight-driven, human-centred design methods to drive business-centred decision-making. My diverse experience working in the private and public sectors across healthcare, education technology, justice reform, urban development and more has challenged me to seek opportunities to drive innovation and create future-resilient solutions to complex problems. With a potent fusion of sociology and product design fueling my creative arsenal, my journey led me to acquire a master's degree in service design; an empowering milestone that amplifies my ability to empathize with people, choreograph seamless processes, and dissect complex systems.
Sayali Deshpande
"Design is in everything we make, but it's also between those things. It's a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy." - Erik Adigard
I firmly believe that the key to driving design innovation is understanding people. By immersing myself in their perspectives, needs, and aspirations, I become a powerful channel for their voices, resolving their problems and converting their desires into practical solutions. Being passionate about enhancing the experiences of both employees and users, I strongly believe that the success of any business is inherently tied to the satisfaction and engagement of those who interact with it.
Keen on bridging the gap between design and other disciplines, I orchestrate collaborative processes that harness the collective intelligence of diverse stakeholders. In the realm where people, processes, and systems intersect, I am a catalyst, a visionary who bridges disciplines, unites perspectives, and crafts experiences that transcend barriers.
Project Overview
Current-State Analysis
Primary Research
Opportunity Areas
Design Intervention
Project Impact
Project Overview
INTRODUCTION
In July 2022, the British Parliament passed a bill creating a new secure school, Oasis Restore, for youth offenders between the ages of 16 and 19. The school, set to open in the winter of 2023 in Medway, Kent, will employ a team from Oasis Community Learning, a charitable organisation that educates children at risk of expulsion.
Oasis Restore will utilise the principles of Restorative Justice, which focuses on addressing the needs of both victims and offenders through meetings and dialogue, instead of a traditional retributive approach. However, the school faces the challenge of gaining students’ trust who may arrive with a negative attitude towards authority. Though Oasis Restore already plans on giving students group therapy and has in-house psychologists, we believe the needs and traumas of the incoming children are more complex than Oasis has currently prepared for.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we help the students have a consistent, healthy relationship with a positive model figure that is nurtured throughout their time in the secure school?
NEW ROLE - SHARED EXPERIENCE MENTOR
The Shared Experience Mentor (SEM) program is designed to provide each child with a dedicated and trustworthy adult role model committed to supporting and advocating for them. SEMs will be responsible for a small group of students, eating meals with them and meeting each of them personally once a week, and will work closely with their teachers to ensure that each child's unique needs are met. They will have access to each child's sensory profile and previous records, and will use this information to help the teacher tailor lesson plans and activities to the child's needs.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Many children who come to Oasis have experienced significant trauma, such as neglect or abuse, and may have difficulty trusting adults and authority figures. The Shared Experience Mentor (SEM) plays a crucial role in helping these children feel safe and supported as they adjust to their new surroundings.
The SEM will work closely with each child to provide the individualised attention and care they may not have received in their families. Through building trust and connecting, the SEM will help the child work through past traumas and feel more secure in their new environment. The SEM will provide a safe haven of support.
SIGNIFICANCE
The SEM is a compassionate link, bringing together Oasis's caring efforts and the child's openness to growth.
IMPACT
We are not just introducing a new role, we are changing the organisational dynamics of Oasis. Because the SEM will understand the child, the other staff can leverage this understanding and provide better support. By working together, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. In the future, we envision a whole network of people who leave the secure school and come together to form one body.
ARTEFACTS
Download the pdf to see more.
In Collaboration with:
Team: Nishtha Aggarwal, Nicole Oliveri, Mae White
PDF:Â Project Report