Classroom Materials: Introduction to Socially Engaged Design

Welcome to Introduction to Socially Engaged Design!

What is the purpose of this session?

This session has the purpose of introducing students to the socially engaged design process model, as a framework to guide the design process and the generation of engineering solutions.

The session describes this particular approach to engineering and design, highlighting the aspects that differentiate this process model from other approaches to design. During the session students have the opportunity to analyze two examples of design solutions through the lens of socially engaged design and its principles.

Who benefits from experiencing this educational session?

The session has been designed to support the learning of students and design teams who will be working in a design project and are in need of a framework to guide their design decisions. Given the nature of socially engaged design, this session will be particularly relevant for students and teams who want to engage deeply with stakeholders and their experiences, and intentionally consider social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors that influence the design of solutions.

What is the structure of the session?

The session has a structure centered around analysis, combining the introduction of information with the discussion of real-world examples of design solutions and engineering processes. The session has been updated to have a structure that balances the introduction of information with frequent opportunities for active reflection and discussion, which facilitates engagement and provides multiple opportunities for active participation. 

The session begins with an icebreaker activity followed by the introduction of different design models and their emphasis. Students then have the opportunity to explore and discuss a real example, that highlights technological innovations in the design of the GE MRI Machine and some of the challenges that the design team encountered as they considered stakeholders who were not visible in the original design. Below, you can find a couple of references that describe this technological innovation.

GE Healthcare. (2011, July 7). GE Healthcare wins Design Excellence Awards for magnetic resonance imaging [Press release]. GE Healthcare Newsroom – Middle East. Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://www.gehealthcare.com/middle-east/about/newsroom/press-releases/ge-healthcare-wins-design-excellence-awards-magnetic-resonance-imaging

Dietz, D. (2012). From Machines to Magic: The Adventure Series. TEDxSanJoseCA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jajduxPD6H4

The session moves to presenting the four key characteristics of socially engaged design, people, context, self, and equity, and invites participants to apply these characteristics to the analysis of the GE MRI example.

A new cycle of presentation of information and discussion follows with a brief description of the SED process model, and a second real-world example about a technical solution to the challenge of water scarcity in Subsaharan Africa called PlayPump. Below, you can find a few references that describe this technological solution.

Chambers, A. (2009, November 24). Africa’s not-so-magic roundabout. The Guardian. Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/24/africa-charity-water-pumps-roundabouts

Costello, A. (Reporter). (2010, June 29). Southern Africa: Troubled water [Video]. PBS FRONTLINE/World. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/southernafrica904/video_index.html

Hobbes, M. (2014, November 18). The problem with international development—and a plan to fix it. The New Republic. Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://www.newrepublic.com/article/120178/problem-international-development-and-plan-fix-it

The session closes with a reflection on the potential use of the SED framework in the participants’ own design projects, and the role that contextual factors play in the design of engineering solutions.