Design to Redistribute Power
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Our Story
As activist we observed a widening gap between the communities that experienced societies most entrenched disparities, and the organizations often tasked with providing a resolution. Problems would get oversimplified or overlooked entirely while efforts would center around building a bold idea, far separated from the issues and the people most effected. The challenges of our time are complex, constantly evolving, and often influenced my multiple contributing factors.
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As a direct response, our team launched COACT to build effective frameworks for solving problems and creating lasting impact. ​​Through the lens of design, we instill our organization with the capacity to respond to each challenge with intention. We work alongside our partners to breakdown complex problems, build empathy with the communities most impacted by disparities, and design solutions that can deliver impact well beyond COACT 's engagement.
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Our Mission
Together, alongside our partners, we design lasting, community centered impact.​
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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 work alongside those impacted by inequity 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 communities we serve, we can design better solutions.
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Design for the Long Run: We share our insights, expand the capacity of those we aim to serve, and aim to design lasting community assets that serve beyond our engagement.
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Design with Hope: We
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How We Work
From projects, multi-year programs, or policy reform, 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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Design through CoAct
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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