Design to Redistribute Power
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Our Story
As activist in our communities we often observed our communities problems get oversimplified. Conversations would center around creating new, shiny, ideas that were far separated from the challenges they aimed to address. Though crafted with intention, these conversations often would lack a clear definition of the problem and representation of the very communities they aimed to serve.
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The challenges of our time are complex, influenced my multiple contributing factors, and weighed down by a history of oppression, siloed perspectives, and antiquated tools. ​
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​​As a direct response, COACT was formed as a social design firm. Bound by our mission and commitment to community, COACT amplifies the capacity of it's partners to breakdown and define important problems, build empathy with communities, and design lasting solutions that can deliver impact beyond COACT 's engagement.
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Our Mission
Together, we design solutions alongside communities to address today's most pressing social challenges.​
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Our Vision
Together, we can create an inclusive, just, and prosperous future for all communities.
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Our Values
Design with Community: We value lived experience and design alongside community to co-author solutions.
Design with Intention: We build a firm understanding towards the problems we aim to solve. By better understanding the challenges and the lived experience of the communities we serve, we can design better solutions.
Design for the Long Run: We create lasting assets. We share our insights and build capacities so the community can continue the journey beyond our engagement.
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How We Work
From projects to multi-year programs, COACT helps it’s partners create solutions alongside communities to create change and transformation. Through our work we embrace design as a problem-solving process that can turn insights and ideas into lasting impact.
We recognize the role design plays in influencing how services are delivered, how messages are communicated, how interventions are perceived, and how solutions are utilized. Design is not just about aesthetics, it's about creating equitable processes, breaking down complex problems, crafting solutions that meet people where they are at, and improving outcomes for the populations we aim to serve. Collectively, we help drive inclusive and equitable social change more effectively.
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Impact Through Social Design
COACT anchors it’s process with community. The process may not always be linear. As things change, we revisit subjects as insights emerge, build on lessons learned, and make the shifts needed to achieve our desired outcomes.
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Exploration: The exploration phase is about understanding the challenge, the people it impacts, the way it impacts people, and the contributing factors. During this phase, we help our partners create a clear definition of the challenge they aim to solve.
Discovery: The discovery phase about turning insights into ideas. It is an opportunity to reflect on the research, generate ideas, and hone our approach. During this phase we help our partners discover bold ideas, test tangible concepts, and tether alignments to the challenges we aim to solve.
Deployment: The deployment phase about turning bold ideas into action. During this phase we help our partners assess risk, define success, operationalize impact, and incubate successful solutions.
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