The Social Impact Engine™
Learn more about The Social Impact Engine™, and how we combine research, strategies and theories to make social impact design what it is
The Social Impact Engine™
Welcome to the Social Impact Engine™. It’s what we call the components we bring together to make the social impact design process run smoothly. Each part comes from well researched ideas, theories and practices from a range of fields including organisational psychology, business, ideation studies, learning, and much, much more.
At Latitude, we believe that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and if we want to see our communities thrive, we need to challenge ourselves at a much deeper level and work together. Change will not happen if we continually fail to look for better ways to make this happen.
The Social Impact Engine™ is constantly looking to improve. It turns the bright light it shines on our shared problems back in on itself. It looks to challenge it’s own underlying assumptions and allow learning about what works to emerge. It is not afraid of making mistakes.
Embed your Work.
Social Change is not easy. In part because communities are complex and often compartmentalised. Normally, when we are proposing a new approach, many will be asking the question, “What’s in it for me?”
This reveals that the biggest barrier embedding even the most brilliant innovations into a small community like a school and larger communities too, is that the community operates at different levels of trust. Some are deeply connected to the greater good, but some don’t feel part of that. They are afraid of change. Each requires empathy and a different approach, and it needs to be timed!
WHAT IS DIFFUSION?
Diffusion Theory was developed in 1962 by EM Rogers. Diffusion is seen as a way to understand social change and how people respond to attempts to embed new innovations in their community.
Innovations are communicated across time and across various channels.
It is often seen in the larger context of big and complex “open” communities where people come and go and change the dynamics a great deal. We have used it here to consider how we might work with smaller and more “closed” communities that have clearer boundaries .
In this approach we looked at the strategies used across business and learning to help promote how each group decides to get involved - ways to speed up and consolidate the process.
You’ll see from the diagram here how Rogers has differentiated the various stages and we have used them throughout.
We use diffusion theory to explore how we will embed social products into our communities. At its heart, it gives us food for thought as to how each part of our community may need supporting in different ways. Trust takes time to build.
Build your Strategy.
Why do we have to empathise?
One of the key roles in the social impact design process is the role of the lead designer. He or she finds themselves thrust into a position that requires them to wear a number of hats, if they are going to be successful in the long run.
One of the deepest challenges of bringing communities together is the way individuals and groups feel about the process of collaborating. Many really struggle to trust the systems and their intentions.
We all possess the deep seated need to be understood. As designers and facilitators we need to know that we are doing all we can to reach that point with them BEFORE we start coming together.
Diffusion Theory was developed in 1962 by EM Rogers. Diffusion is seen as a way to understand social change and how people respond to attempts to embed new innovations in their community.
Innovations are communicated across time and across various channels.
We have developed Collaborative Conversations to help Lead Designers and anyone interested in negotiation to navigate those tricky waters.
Take Everyone with You.
How do we establish real, empathetic connections?
One of the key roles in the social impact design process is the role of the lead designer. He or she finds themselves thrust into a position that requires them to wear a number of hats, if they are going to be successful in the long run.
One of the deepest challenges of bringing communities together is the way individuals and groups feel about the process of collaborating. Many really struggle to trust the systems and their intentions.
We all possess the deep seated need to be understood. As designers and facilitators we need to know that we are doing all we can to reach that point with them BEFORE we start coming together.
THE COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATIONS GUIDE
Diffusion Theory was developed in 1962 by EM Rogers. Diffusion is seen as a way to understand social change and how people respond to attempts to embed new innovations in their community.
Innovations are communicated across time and across various channels.
We have developed Collaborative Conversations to help Lead Designers and anyone interested in negotiation to navigate those tricky waters.
Skip the Guesswork.
Social Change is not easy. In part because communities are complex and often compartmentalised. Normally, when we are proposing a new approach, many will be asking the question, “What’s in it for me?”
This reveals that the biggest barrier embedding even the most brilliant innovations into a small community like a school and larger communities too, is that the community operates at different levels of trust. Some are deeply connected to the greater good, but some don’t feel part of that. They are afraid of change. Each requires empathy and a different approach, and it needs to be timed!
HOW DOES LEAN IMPACT WORK?
Diffusion Theory was developed in 1962 by EM Rogers. Diffusion is seen as a way to understand social change and how people respond to attempts to embed new innovations in their community.
Innovations are communicated across time and across various channels.
It is often seen in the larger context of big and complex “open” communities where people come and go and change the dynamics a great deal. We have used it here to consider how we might work with smaller and more “closed” communities that have clearer boundaries .
In this approach we looked at the strategies used across business and learning to help promote how each group decides to get involved - ways to speed up and consolidate the process.
You’ll see from the diagram here how Rogers has differentiated the various stages and we have used them throughout.
We use diffusion theory to explore how we will embed social products into our communities. At its heart, it gives us food for thought as to how each part of our community may need supporting in different ways. Trust takes time to build.
Reformat your Discoveries.
In the simplest of terms, social products are packaged up social solutions that can be embedded into the mainstream and distributed locally or scaled globally. We capture their essence, create a visual brand and show how they can be delivered whether as a course, a resource, a framework and a host of other formats.
All over the world we see some brilliant social innovations operating within mainstream systems, in our communities and on the very fringes of our societies. All designed to meet a specific need. Sadly, most of it goes unnoticed and its potential is unrealised.
We also see time limited projects creating powerful interventions but that disappear when the funding ends. But why don’t we package up these approaches and ideas so they can continue? Why don’t we see them as assets that might have a number of applications and markets? Social innovation requires both a design and entrepreneurial mindset if the best ideas are to take root and remain part of our cultural DNA.
Many ideas are like gemstones, rough and lacking shine. But when they are cleaned up and refined, then presented, you see their true value.
Social Products look to elevate the power of social interventions by combining robust research, design principles and entrepreneurial vision. We call this Social Impact Design.
It's an important juxtaposition because it brings together the key components of effective social change. Namely:
Sound social research (which often sits ignored when not applied, despite its potency);
effective social design (where research is catapulted into the real world and then tested & refined);
and entrepreneurial vision (that creates markets and embeds it into mainstream.)
Social Product Test
Is it simple?
Social products should be practical and intuitive to use.
Is it adaptable?
Effective Social Products are highly versatile across multiple contexts.
Is it connectable?
One social product will always work in synergy with another social product.
Is it scaleable?
Social products should be easy to scale locally or globally.
Is it impactful?
Well designed & tested social products will create a measurable positive impact on the lives of the people they are designed to support.
Is it beautiful?
Social Products are designed with aesthetics in mind because good design is also beautiful design.
Is it sustainable?
Social products should be robust and should retain their integrity in an ever changing world.
Social Products is one of the last stages in social impact design.
Collaborate with Everyone.
Social Change is not easy. In part because communities are complex and often compartmentalised. Normally, when we are proposing a new approach, many will be asking the question, “What’s in it for me?”
This reveals that the biggest barrier embedding even the most brilliant innovations into a small community like a school and larger communities too, is that the community operates at different levels of trust. Some are deeply connected to the greater good, but some don’t feel part of that. They are afraid of change. Each requires empathy and a different approach, and it needs to be timed!
You can easily design social challenges to explore
HOW DO SOCIAL CHALLENGES WORK?
Diffusion Theory was developed in 1962 by EM Rogers. Diffusion is seen as a way to understand social change and how people respond to attempts to embed new innovations in their community.
Innovations are communicated across time and across various channels.
It is often seen in the larger context of big and complex “open” communities where people come and go and change the dynamics a great deal. We have used it here to consider how we might work with smaller and more “closed” communities that have clearer boundaries .
In this approach we looked at the strategies used across business and learning to help promote how each group decides to get involved - ways to speed up and consolidate the process.
You’ll see from the diagram here how Rogers has differentiated the various stages and we have used them throughout.
We use diffusion theory to explore how we will embed social products into our communities. At its heart, it gives us food for thought as to how each part of our community may need supporting in different ways. Trust takes time to build.
Level the Playing Field.
At the heart of Social Impact Design sits the strong belief that social innovation is a team sport. Our history is littered with examples of attempts at social reform and systemic change that constantly fail to hit the mark. These attempts lack some essential components that make success more likely.
One reason is that research is often carried out after something has been designed and started to scale. At this point, the underlying assumptions that have framed the “new” approach become vehemently protected and any attempt to reveal its flaws (even when they are backed up by great research) is strongly rejected.
Another reason is that we are not very good at understanding the true nature of a social problem and the space it occupies. This is often called the Problem Space. Problems like these are often called “wicked” problems because not only are they highly complex they are constantly changing.
When Collective Action works well it overcomes three potential stumbling blocks, and the social impact design process does it’s best to mitigate these challenges.
The Three Stumbling Blocks of Collective Action
Cognition
When groups of people looking to find a better solution to a social problem think the same then we rarely get to the real source of the problem. Social impact design looks to create “alliances” that promote a cognitively diverse range of collaborators.
Co-operation
When groups of people fail to agree on working together on a shared problem then it’s very hard to make progress. We look to provide clear terms of reference and remain open to hear different and often conflicting views.
Co-ordination
When groups aren’t very well co-ordinated they will loose momentum. This process looks to inspire alliances to work well together in a co-ordinated way.
We have developed Collaborative Conversations to help Lead Designers and anyone interested in negotiation to navigate those tricky waters.
Learn alongside others.
The aurora surrounding the often mythical solo social entrepreneur who single-handedly orchestrates social change on an epic scale is hard to not get excited about. For many of us, finding solutions to many of the problems we all face is in our blood. But can we do it alone?
The truth is that such people rarely exist if at all. What they are very good at is to play to their strengths and gather people around them with the required skills to make change more likely. They lead social change, stick to the noble cause and uphold rich and vivid values.
Latitude believes that the power of social entrepreneurship is unleashed by community alliances; collections of people gathered around shared social challenges.
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
The Power of the Alliance
Building alliances is an important component in the Social Impact Engine™.
It is common for organisations to bring people together. They have all kinds of names: working groups, forums, working parties, committees, task forces, commissions, delegations etc etc, but alliances are different because social impact design principles are at their heart. They also tap into some great research about how crowds tap into their collective wisdom and explore the problem space in greater detail, making effective collective action more likely.
Alliances come together around a shared problem
Alliances create level playing fields
Alliances ensure everyone can contribute even when people might disagree
Alliances remain open to being proved wrong
By tapping into the power of crowds, and understanding how insights can be shared, alliances offer a powerful alternative to how co-production and community action works in many settings.