Vision
Let’s shake things up together.
We created JW Collaborative to more directly and nimbly serve and impact clients who believe that human-centered design and design thinking should be paired with business, organizational, and/or systems thinking acumen to create a more holistic future.
As an independent human-centered design strategy studio, we activate change in collaboration with service partners in health, civic engagement, and social good.
We’re seasoned business strategists skilled in design methods. We leverage our professional backgrounds and rambunctious attitudes to seek and solve challenging problems at the intersection of human, organizational, and societal needs with clients and collaborators who desire to break today’s rules, reimagine their purpose, deliver the best human experiences, and lead transformations that will positively impact future generations.
In order to identify opportunities that are not only bold but connected to what key constituents truly need and want, our approach invites end users and other key stakeholders to be partners with us in providing perspectives to inform understanding as well as imagine what’s needed or next. We consider the broader context of historical experiences and seek insights around currently unmet needs to lay a foundation for driving a more desirable, co-created future state.
The Principles We Value Most
A human-centered systems design approach is core to how we think and do. We...
Collaborate inclusively and openly.
Collaboration is at the heart of our model - rooted in co-creation and participatory design principles (engaging our clients and those they serve in the process). Thinking and making out loud, together, produces more sustainable results. We believe the best ideas emerge from the collision of diverse interests, perspectives, experiences, and abilities.
Shape big changes by starting with purpose.
Not every challenge requires major change or transformation, but when it does, you have to think differently about purpose regardless of scale. Further, we don’t believe successful change happens by edict. It requires a movement, not just a moment.
Focus on understanding human needs and honoring realities.
To find the best answer, we empathetically look to understand the root and complexity of the problem. Starting with human need as the basis for solution design while honoring realities makes for outcomes that are actually optimized for the real world.
Solve thoughtfully for the right problems.
We question with an open mind. We listen with an openness to having our minds changed about what we assumed to be the answer.
Generate inspiration beyond industry conventions.
We look for inspiration in unusual places rather than just relying on leading practices within an industry. The game is changing, and the old rules won’t (or already don’t) apply anymore. Many, diverse perspectives help us get to better ideas and avoid blind spots.
Design iteratively.
The ultimate goal of any design – physical, strategic, collaboration model, etc. – is to encourage users to integrate a solution into their lives, and, most of the time, designs fall short of this goal in their first iteration. This is why we test concepts with users repeatedly, so we can refine them until we get it right.
Appeal to hearts and minds.
Storytelling is essential to articulating vision, concepts, and recommendations. Compelling visuals and clear, concise communication are equally critical to making insights understandable, meaningful, and actionable. The rationale must be desirable, feasible, and viable.
Scale, spread, and align throughout
Intentionally building support, engendering trust, and cultivating a sense of ownership along the way to ensure buy-in to the final solution is essential.
We can’t wait to see where we go together! Let’s get busy collaborating!
Joel Worthington
Founder and Principal, JW Collaborative
Image credit: Joel Worthington (@thephototypinglife)