What changes are needed: A Design Thinking Guide

Think about what changes are needed or wanted

Another key step is generating ideas and identifying solutions for your building. These can range from simple reorderings to larger built projects, such as alterations, additions or extensions. Ideas for changes need not solely focus on physical changes, but may include ideas for developing new collaborations and partnerships which will see new uses in the building, or help expand current activities. While thinking about ideas and solutions, it is important to think about who will be affected by those changes and who can help make (implement) them. Also think about how you will engage others to generate ideas about changes, and understand the implications of the changes, as well as how you will invite others to collaborate in design decisions.

Tools for thinking

This template can be used to record your thinking about the changes that are needed or wanted, but also identify the people who may be affected by those changes and those who may help you realise them. You may print multiple copies so that you have the flexibility to cluster different ideas for changes together.

Download the template

How to use this tool

You can use the template individually or in group conversations. You will need to decide who needs to participate in responding to these questions and how. So, you may organise a meeting or workshop where people will come together to reflect and respond to these questions. It is useful to use the template in a conversation with the key project/building group and your worshiping community. You may also invite other users of the building (e.g. groups running or attending activities in your building) or other members of the wider community. Remember, in some cases you may not have the answers and other activities will be required to collect views, feedback or evidence for your claims.

Your objective is to generate ideas for changes and understand relationships between those ideas. Ask participants to create some responses (individually or in small groups) and then discuss them. You may look for links (ideas that can be clustered together) as well as conflicts between ideas (alternative ideas, or ideas impacting on others).

Click on the image to view an example of how the template works

Resources

These are some resources that can help you progress your thinking. Note that some of these resources were developed specifically for churches, but the information should be useful for all faith groups and denominations.

How to develop your design ideas

Crossing the Threshold Toolkit Chapter 5: developing your ideas. This chapter can help you develop your ideas into solutions for a church reordering project.
Design stories: learning from past projects. This resource developed by the Empowering Design Practices project will give you examples of successful design projects in places of worship.
Explore Design: Community Buildings. This resource developed by the Empowering Design Practices research project will help you to explore and understand the design of community buildings through ten themes. Under each theme, you can find a number of illustrated examples along with a set of questions to help you explore the theme in relation to your own building’s present and future.