Date of Award
Spring 5-31-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Industrial Design
Department
Industrial Design
First Advisor
Beth Mosher
Second Advisor
Lilly Manycolors
Third Advisor
Dara Benno
Abstract
Design interventions for social good often fall short—ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Even successful projects tend to have fleeting impacts. Despite prototyping, innovation, and scaling expertise, designers struggle to create lasting community change. Skills that drive capitalist markets remain underutilized in the social sector. Reducing barriers to entry in the design for social good field might foster a more equitable, service-oriented design practice.
This thesis examines how designers can collaborate ethically and effectively with community organizations to support their missions. It examines the challenges and benefits of applying a ‘patchwork design approach’ to social good through real-world partnerships. The research produces two key contributions: case studies on collaborative design interventions and actionable tools, methodologies, and strategies for designers to align their practice with their values. It also investigates sustainable implementation models, including Creative Commons licensing, NFT ownership, and fundraising strategies. Ultimately, this work presents a model for ethical, sustainable, and impactful design for social good, to create a world where design and community building go hand in hand, rather than ‘community design’ being a specialized and undervalued type of designer.
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Jack A., "Patchworks - A design framework for repairing systems, one patch at a time." (2025). Masters Theses. 1483.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1483
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.