Fixing Real Problems With Real People
- Jul 24
- 1 min read
Fixperts is a free learning programme that challenges students to design and make a practical solution for someone in their community. Each project begins with a real person, known as a Fix Partner, and moves through observation, collaboration, prototyping, making and storytelling.
Created in 2013 and now supported by social enterprise Forth Together CIC, Fixperts has been used by schools and universities internationally. Its archive of student-made Fix Films shares both the final solution and the design journey.
Why I saved this: I like how Fixperts gives small, everyday problems genuine importance. The responsibility to deliver something useful for another person encourages students to listen carefully, test repeatedly and move beyond designing for an imagined user.
Worth considering: How might working directly with one person change the design decisions in your current project?
Try applying it: Observe one everyday difficulty experienced by someone you know and prototype a simple improvement.
Design themes: Human-centred design, inclusive design, prototyping, co-design, social innovation
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