R SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN FOR SOCIA

PACT DESIGN FOR SOCIAL IMPACT DE

WORKBOOK
DESIGN FOR S
SOCIAL IMPAC
INTRODUCTION

IMPACT DESIG
This workbook accompanies “Design for Social Impact:
How-to Guide” and is intended to help design firms navigate
through the modes of engagement. Use the activities that
follow to prompt discussions with your team and to develop
an action plan for engaging in social impact work in a way
that makes sense for your firm.

Keep in mind that the focus of these activities is on process

and not content. There is an ongoing tension within every
design firm to balance the desire to engage in impactful

SOCIAL IMPAC
work with the need to run a business. This workbook is not
intended to be prescriptive, rather it is intended to help
you think through your strategy for engaging in this work.
We hope the exercises prompt you to think of new ways to
continue the impactful work you are already doing and to
increase your involvement in a sustainable way.

DESIGN FOR S
GOALS GOALS GOALS
STEP ONE

A R T I C U L AT E Y O U R I N T E N T I O N S

GOALS GOALS GOALS

GOALS GOALS GOALS
GOALS GOALS GOALS
GOALS GOALS GOALS
GOALS GOALS GOALS
GOALS
Prioritize Your Drivers

Construct Your Dream Project

Define Social Impact

GOALS GOALS
GOALS
2 The Rockefeller Foundation
GOALS GOALS
Design for Social Impact: Workbook 3
WORKSHEET NO. 01

To start off, it’s important to think about why your fi rm wants to

PRIORITIZE YOUR DRIVE get involved in social impact work. What’s motivating you to move
into this sector? Why will it be benefi cial to your fi rm? Start with
the drivers below and indicate the level of importance of each (low,
DRIVERS PRIORITIZE YOU medium, or high). Refl ect on the associated questions and jot your
notes below. Identifying the drivers will help you select the offerings

PRIORITIZE YOUR DRIVE with which to experiment.

S O C I A L I M PAC T H M L H M L R E P U TAT I O N
Do you want to use your design expertise to have social       What is your fi rm known for? Could social impact projects
impact? Are you proud of your current portfolio? How improve your reputation or attract more attention? What
important is a global reach to your work? stories might attract new clients or employees to your fi rm?

RETENTION H M L
H M L PROFIT
Do you have people in your fi rm who are really passionate       Could you imagine making social impact a core part of your
about this work? Do they currently have suffi cient outlets business? Might social impact work lead to projects with
for doing it? Would doing more projects strengthen corporate clients? Can you afford to do this work pro bono?
employee loyalty?

HONING DESIGN SKILLS H M L

Would this type of work put you on the cutting edge of design?   
Could you use these projects to sharpen the skills of your team
and present them with new challenges?

4 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 5

WORKSHEET NO. 02

Use this tool to quickly identify where your passions lie for engaging

CONSTRUCT YOUR DREA in social impact work. As you think about projects to bring in,
consider using these passions as your initial targets. Defi ning your
view of a social impact project will enable you to be more concrete in
DREAM PROJECT CONST your responses in the remaining activities.
By checking all the boxes that apply, design your dream social

CONSTRUCT YOUR DREA impact project.

OFFERING P A R T N E R S /C L I E N T S

 Product design  Organizational transformation  Foundation  Multinational Corporation (MNC)

 Service design  Ethnographic need fi nding  Government  Other Design Firms

 Brand strategy and  Technology strategy  Non-governmental Organization  University

communication (NGO)
 Other:  Other:
 Growth strategy  Social Enterprise

SECTOR D U R AT I O N

 Basic services  One hour  Six months

 Livelihoods
 Health  One week  One year
 Technology
 Environment  One month  Other:
 Other:
 Education  Three months

GEOGRAPHY B R I E F LY D E S C R I B E A P R O J E C T Y O U I M A G I N E .
 Asia  Latin America Keep this in the back of your mind as you do the other
 China  Europe activities in this book.

 India  North America

 Africa  Other:

FOR WHOM

 Rural  Bottom billion

 Urban  Working poor

 Women  Middle class

 Children  Other:

6 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 7

WORKSHEET NO. 03

DEFINE SOCIAL IMPACT What does social impact mean to you? What types of change do you

SOCIAL IMPACTDEFINE S want to make? Fill in the blanks to create your statement about what
social impact means to your fi rm and how you plan to measure it.

DEFINE SOCIAL IMPACT

will conducting and

DESIGN FIRM NOUN

identify projects as “social impact” if they positively affect

and measuring
NOUN

communities/individuals
(circle one)
ADJECTIVE
and .
NOUN NOUN

in . We can make
PL ACE
In five years, we hope that
DESIGN FIRM
the most impact by working with organizations that are

will have contributed to

, , VERB (- I N G )
ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE

in .
and . We expect to see NOUN PL ACE

ADJECTIVE

impact in our clients by

ADJECTIVE

8 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 9

TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS
STE P T WO

A C K N O W L E D G E Y O U R S TA R T I N G P O I N T

TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS

TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS
TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS
TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS
TOOLS TOOLS TOOLS
TOOLS
Record What You’re Already Doing

Take an Inventory of Your Resources

TOOLS TOOLS
TOOLS
10 The Rockefeller Foundation
TOOLS TOOLS
Design for Social Impact: Workbook 11
WORKSHEET NO. 04A

RECORD WHAT RECORD Think about your portfolio of volunteer, pro-bono, low-bono,
non-profi t, and government projects. Flip through the menu

YOU’RE ALREADY DOING of offerings and check the ones you’re already doing. Use
the blank spaces below to add any offerings not included here.

DOING RECORD WHAT Y

OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E

M O D I F Y I N G T H E WAY M O D I F Y I N G T H E WAY
YO U WO R K ? Y O U W O R K ? ( C O N T .)

 Concept incubation  Catalogue of design challenges

 Design + implementation  Project scoping

 Business as usual  Design review

 Scale to fi t  Concept brainstorm

 Guide clients  Other

 Sabbatical

12 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 13

WORKSHEET NO. 04B

RECORD WHAT RECORD WHAT YOU’RE ALREAD

YOU’RE ALREADY DOING RECORD WHAT YOU’R
DOING RECORD WHAT YOU’RE ALREADY DOIN
(C O N T I N U E D )

OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E

E D U C AT I N G O T H E R S ? DEVELOPING
NET WORKS?
 d.school .in/.za
 Local partners

 Empathy fi eld trips

 Design competitions

 Design certifi cation

 Contribute to existing networks

 Intern hosting
 Other

 Publishing

 Process workshop

 Other

14 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 15

WORKSHEET NO. 04C

RECORD WHAT RECORD WHAT YOU’RE ALREAD

YOU’RE ALREADY DOING RECORD WHAT YOU’R
DOING RECORD WHAT YOU’RE ALREADY DOIN
(C O N T I N U E D )

OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E OFFERING (ARE YO U A L R E A DY… ) W H AT Y O U ’ V E D O N E

IDENTIFYING MODIFYING
FUNDING STREAMS? YO U R S T R U C T U R E ?

 Design industry fund  .org

 Raise and manage a pot of money  .in/.za

 Internal subsidies  Center of excellence

 3 rd party sponsorship  Other

 Project fi nancing

 Other

16 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 17

WORKSHEET NO. 05

TAKE AN INVENTORY OF Think about the resources that you already have and could dedicate to
social impact work. Then, think about what resources you might need.

OF YOUR RESOURCES AK Recognize that this initiative must fi t within the realities and objectives
of your business and be realistic about what makes sense to commit.

TAKE AN INVENTORY OF

H AV E NEED H AV E NEED

PEOPLE      TIME     
Do you have people Do you have time to
Who? Who? What blocks time? What blocks time?
with expertise in design commit to building
for social impact? these capabilities and
doing these projects?

         
PA S S I O N NET WORK
Do you have people Do you have
Who? Who? Who? Who?
with passion for social connections in
impact work? the social sector?

         
PROCESS MONEY
Do you have a Do you have fi nancial
What process? What process? How much? How much?
process that works resources to dedicate
in this context? to this work?

LEGEND A Lot A Little None Need to get Don’t need LEGEND A Lot A Little None Need to get Don’t need

18 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 19

PLANS PLANS PLANS
STEP THREE

D E C L A R E YO U R P O R T FO L I O

PLANS PLANS PLANS

PLANS PLANS PLANS
PLANS PLANS PLANS
PLANS PLANS PLANS
PLANS PLANS PLANS
PLANS PLANS
Portfolio Suggestions

Consider a Portfolio

Define your First Steps

PLANS
PLANS PLANS
Planning Sheets

20 The Rockefeller Foundation

PLANS
Design for Social Impact: Workbook 21
 PORTFOLIO SUGGESTION Engaging in social impact work is a journey and a choice. You may
decide from doing these exercises that you’d like to stick your toe in

SUGGESTIONS PORTFOL
or jump in head fi rst. Or, the exercises may guide you to choose not
to engage at this particular time. Wherever you are in the journey,
we have envisioned a series of offerings that might be right for you.

PORTFOLIO SUGGESTION
I F YO U A R E N E W TO T H E I F Y O U WA N T T O M A K E S O C I A L I M P A C T
S O C I A L I M PAC T A R E N A T H E C E N T E R P O I N T O F YO U R O F F E R I N G

C O N S I D E R S TA R T I N G W I T H : CONSIDER:

» A sabbatical » Concept incubation

(to build expertise) PROCRESS
(to increase impact) PUBLISHING

DESIGN +
WORKSHOP
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N
» A concept brainstorm » Design + implementation
(to engage your employees) S A B B AT I C A L (to create a network of partners)
. I N /Z A
» Intern hosting INTERN » Publishing
HOSTING
(to raise awareness in your fi rm) CONCEPT (to share your expertise)
BRAINSTORM CONTRIBUTE TO CONCEPT
EXISITING NETWORKS I N C U B AT I O N
» A process workshop » .org
.ORG
(to build your network) (to show your commitment)
» Contributing to existing networks » .in/.za
(to build expertise) (to make yourself more accessible)

I F Y O U WA N T T O H AV E A L A R G E R S O C I A L I M P A C T W I T H O U T I F Y O U WA N T T O C ATA LY Z E
D E T R AC T I N G TO O M U C H F R O M YO U R B OT TO M L I N E THE DESIGN INDUSTRY

CONSIDER FOCUSING ON: CONSIDER:

» Scale to fit » dschool in .in/za

PUBLISHING
(to increase # of clients) (to build capacity)
CENTER OF
EXCELLENCE
» A process guide 3 RD PA R T Y
SPONSORSHIP
» Design certifi cation
(to increase # of projects) (to build a network)
D.SCHOOL
. I N /. Z A
» A catalogue of challenges SCALE » Publishing DESIGN
C E R T I F I C AT I O N
TO FIT

(to utilize unstaffed time) (to share your vision)

PROCESS
GUIDE DESIGN
INDUSTRY
» 3rd party sponsorship C ATA L O G U E O F
» An industry pact (to raise aware- PAC T
INDUSTRY
FUND

(to bring in full-scale projects) CHALLENGES

ness in and of the industry)
» A center of excellence » A design industry fund
(to leverage your expertise) (to allow more fi rms to participate)

22 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 23

WORKSHEET NO. 06

CONSIDER A PORTFOLIO STE P T WO

Using your own judgement, estimate the required investment

PORTFOLIO CONSIDER A (small, medium, or large), the social impact, and the benefit to
your fi rm for each of your fi ve selected offerings.

CONSIDER A PORTFOLIO
STEP ONE

You’ve now identifi ed what you’re already doing, the resources you
currently have, and what more you might need to pursue social impact
work. Now, think about the future. Pick fi ve offerings from the resource
guide that intrigue you. Think back to your drivers. Which might create the
most impact? Which would thrill your team? Which might you learn from
most? Which could win you some great press? Which might make you some

BENEFIT TO THE FIRM

01.

02 .

03.

04.
S O C I A L I M PAC T

05.

INVESTMENT SIZE

24 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 25

WORKSHEET NO. 07

Plot your selections on the matrix below. The x axis indicates how

EVALUATE YOUR PORTFO similar the potential clients or partners might be to your existing clients
or partners. For instance, if you’ve never been involved in publishing,

PORTFOLIO EVALUATE Y
the partners you would need would be new (i.e. far on the right). The
y axis indicates how similar the offering or project might be to your
existing offerings. For instance, if you have never taught your process,

EVALUATE YOUR PORTFO a process workshop would be new (i.e. at the top).

NEW

3 2

1 3

HOW TO INTERPRET THIS

OFFERING

Notice where the majority of your selected offerings fall.

1 : I N C R E M E N TA L

These offerings are the closest to what you’re currently doing and could
be great as quick wins. Incremental offerings require execution-focused
processes and people. If the majority of your selections fall into this
quadrant, think about whether you want to stretch yourself a bit farther.
2 : R E VOLUTIONARY

These offerings are the furthest from what you currently do and have the
potential to stretch your fi rm and bring you to very different places. Revo-
lutionary offerings require exploration-focused processes and people. If the
majority of your selections fall into this quadrant, think about whether this is
realistic. Would you rather start with a few initiatives that are more similar to
what you already do?
3: E VOLUTIONARY

These offerings provide a mix of the novel and familiar. Evolutionary

EXISTING C L I E N T/P A R T N E R NEW offerings require a mix of execution and exploration-focused processes
and people. If the majority of your selections fall into this section, think
about whether you want to be more radical or more conservative? Do
you feel comfortable sitting in the middle ground between the two?

26 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 27

WORKSHEET NO. 08

STEP ONE

DEFINE YOUR FIRST STE Now that you’ve done Worksheets 6 and 7, list any offerings that no
longer seem appropriate and your brief rationale.

FIRST STEPS DEFINE YOU OFFERING CONCERN

DEFINE YOUR FIRST STE

STE P T WO STEP THREE

Now, look back through the menu of offerings and consider replacing any Now, that you’ve chosen your fi rst set of experiments, think through your
that you dropped. Think about what initially appealed to you about the road map for social impact work. Think about where each offering could
dropped offerings and fi nd similar offerings that seem more attainable. lead you. In the long-term, what involvement makes sense for your fi rm?
List the offerings in your new portfolio below.

SHORT-TERM MEDIUM-TERM LONG-TERM

01.

02 .

03.

04.

05.

28 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 29

WORKSHEET NO. 09A

Complete one planning sheet for each offering you would like to try.
PLANNING SHEET PLANN EXPERIMENT

SHEET PLANNING SHEET TO TRY:

PLANNING SHEET PLANN

WHY THIS APPEALS TO ME AC TION W H AT WHO
PLAN

H M L THIS SU PPORTS MY GOAL OF: Within

1 Month
   Social Impact

   Retention

   Honing Design Skills

   Building Reputation

   Profi t Within
6 Months
   Other:

H O W T H I S C O N N E C T S T O W H AT W E D O
Within
How does this enhance our brand? 1 Year

Within
5 Years
How would this challenge us?

THIS COULD
LEAD TO:

Who could we partner or work with?

30 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 31

WORKSHEET NO. 09B

Complete one planning sheet for each offering you would like to try.
PLANNING SHEET PLANN EXPERIMENT

SHEET PLANNING SHEET TO TRY:

PLANNING SHEET PLANN

WHY THIS APPEALS TO ME AC TION W H AT WHO
PLAN

H M L THIS SU PPORTS MY GOAL OF: Within

1 Month
   Social Impact

   Retention

   Honing Design Skills

   Building Reputation

   Profi t Within
6 Months
   Other:

H O W T H I S C O N N E C T S T O W H AT W E D O
Within
How does this enhance our brand? 1 Year

Within
5 Years
How would this challenge us?

THIS COULD
LEAD TO:

Who could we partner or work with?

32 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 33

WORKSHEET NO. 09C

Complete one planning sheet for each offering you would like to try.
PLANNING SHEET PLANN EXPERIMENT

SHEET PLANNING SHEET TO TRY:

PLANNING SHEET PLANN

WHY THIS APPEALS TO ME AC TION W H AT WHO
PLAN

H M L THIS SU PPORTS MY GOAL OF: Within

1 Month
   Social Impact

   Retention

   Honing Design Skills

   Building Reputation

   Profi t Within
6 Months
   Other:

H O W T H I S C O N N E C T S T O W H AT W E D O
Within
How does this enhance our brand? 1 Year

Within
5 Years
How would this challenge us?

THIS COULD
LEAD TO:

Who could we partner or work with?

34 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 35

WORKSHEET NO. 09D

Complete one planning sheet for each offering you would like to try.
PLANNING SHEET PLANN EXPERIMENT

SHEET PLANNING SHEET TO TRY:

PLANNING SHEET PLANN

WHY THIS APPEALS TO ME AC TION W H AT WHO
PLAN

H M L THIS SU PPORTS MY GOAL OF: Within

1 Month
   Social Impact

   Retention

   Honing Design Skills

   Building Reputation

   Profi t Within
6 Months
   Other:

H O W T H I S C O N N E C T S T O W H AT W E D O
Within
How does this enhance our brand? 1 Year

Within
5 Years
How would this challenge us?

THIS COULD
LEAD TO:

Who could we partner or work with?

36 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 37

WORKSHEET NO. 09E

Complete one planning sheet for each offering you would like to try.
PLANNING SHEET PLANN EXPERIMENT

SHEET PLANNING SHEET TO TRY:

PLANNING SHEET PLANN

WHY THIS APPEALS TO ME AC TION W H AT WHO
PLAN

H M L THIS SU PPORTS MY GOAL OF: Within

1 Month
   Social Impact

   Retention

   Honing Design Skills

   Building Reputation

   Profi t Within
6 Months
   Other:

H O W T H I S C O N N E C T S T O W H AT W E D O
Within
How does this enhance our brand? 1 Year

Within
5 Years
How would this challenge us?

THIS COULD
LEAD TO:

Who could we partner or work with?

38 The Rockefeller Foundation Design for Social Impact: Workbook 39

THANK YOU FOR JOININ
JOINING IN THIS EXPLO
EXPLORATION THANK Y

Tara Acharya Tim Brown

Demmy Adesina Aaron Sklar
Maria Blair Sandy Speicher
Doug Solomon
Jocelyn Wyatt