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2024
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MDes Design Innovation & Interaction Design School of Innovation & Technology

Nishabh Polke

(he/him)

I’m an architect transitioning into interaction design with a strong passion for research and creative community building. Eager to learn and adapt, I embrace the challenges of hard work and continuous growth to enhance my craft and contribute meaningfully to my field.

Contact
nishabhpolke.3@gmail.com
n.polke1@student.gsa.ac.uk
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Projects
Uniting Distinct Communities: Enhancing Social Cohesion in the Hyperlocal Context of Forres through Collaborative Engagement

Uniting Distinct Communities: Enhancing Social Cohesion in the Hyperlocal Context of Forres through Collaborative Engagement

Forres boasts a vibrant network of local volunteers and charitable organisations (Community | Forres Local, 2020). However, after engaging with community leaders, it became clear that these distinct community groups operate in isolation, each thriving independently without much interaction.

My project, titled ‘FACTual’, aims to bridge these existing communities and foster a unified spirit within Forres. The proposed intervention involves organising an event in collaboration with FACT (Forres Area Community Trust) and GSA (Glasgow School of Art) Highlands and Islands campus. This event will serve as a platform for community groups to engage in dialogue with students, facilitating meaningful interactions and generating valuable research-driven insights into their challenges.

Students will have the opportunity to learn with a heightened sensitivity to their local context, while Forres communities will benefit from the innovative ideas proposed by these students. Success hinges on both parties being open to change and welcoming fresh perspectives. The goal of this project is to initiate conversations that dissolve the ‘them and us’ divide, fostering a sense of belonging and promoting social cohesion within the Forres communities over time.

How can we develop a strategy to enhance community belonging, improve resource management, and ensure transparent and sustainable engagement locally in Forres, while fostering trust and mutual benefit among stakeholders?

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Analysing Data through Sketches

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Analysing Data through Sketches

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Auto-ethnography through Making

Auto-ethnography enabled me to reflect on my personal experiences that shaped my perspective on Forres. This reflective process allowed me to translate these experiences into a tangible representation—a meaningful inanimate object that embodied the significance I associated with the place.
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Preparing for the Co-Design Session

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Engagement Tool - 1

The findings from my analysis of the primary data led to the creation of a gamified version of the "How might we" questions I had identified. I presented these questions to stakeholders as a puzzle set, inspired by elements of Forres, each piece accompanied by a guide explaining its graphic. This approach was designed to steer potential ideas toward fostering social cohesion in Forres.
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Engagement Tool - 2

The aim for the design of this engagement tool was to encourage stakeholders to consider the needs and perspectives of others, fostering empathy in their approach to answering the question. This perspective-taking was intended to guide them in thinking beyond their own experiences and towards a more inclusive understanding of participant expectations.
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Co-Design Session in progress

Utilising engagement tools and thoroughly discussing each element encouraged a healthy exchange of opinions and ideas. As participants interacted with the tools and positioned the pieces on the map of Forres, fascinating stories about the town began to emerge, enriching the conversations and driving the discussions forward.
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Storyboarding

To ensure the stakeholders understood my vision for the event, it was crucial to highlight its key aspects. By visualising the event through a storyboard paired with song lyrics, I was able to create a sense of empathy among the stakeholders. The lyrics resonated with them, helping to capture the emotional journey of participants and making the event concept more relatable and impactful.
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Stakeholder Mapping

As the project began to take shape and following intense discussions with stakeholders, it became evident that identifying the key community groups who could be involved in the event or play a supporting role was crucial to its success.
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Funding

After identifying potential community groups and indirect influences through the stakeholder map, studying the flow of funds became essential to determine how this venture between FACT and GSA could be mutually beneficial for both parties.
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Brainstorming with the Stakeholder

As ideas flowed in and plans for the event began to solidify, it became essential to discuss the logistics. This presented a valuable opportunity to actively involve stakeholders in the decision-making process, ensuring their engagement and input in shaping the event.
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Thinking through sketching - 1

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Thinking through sketching - 2

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Thinking through sketching - 3

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Stakeholder Feedback

Presenting my initial project ideas directly to stakeholders provided valuable feedback, which I used to refine and iterate on the concepts, enhancing and polishing the original ideas.
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Stakeholder Feedback

Stakeholders were deeply invested in bringing this project to life, and their support was remarkable. Each option was thoroughly reviewed, and their feedback was instrumental in enhancing the quality of the ideas.
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Future proposal for sustainable and continuous engagement - 1

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Future proposal for sustainable and continuous engagement - 2

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Long-Term Engagement Plan

Sustainable engagement was a key focus throughout this project. The impact of this sustainable approach is visualised in terms of mutual benefits, ensuring a continuous cycle that enhances social cohesion in Forres, particularly in relation to these two organisations.
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My achievement - Beyond my imagination

Stakeholders recognised significant potential in using the engagement tool (the puzzle set and guide) for both their board of trustees and the local community members of Forres. They plan to utilise it to facilitate conversations that will ideally inspire a holistic approach to project development in their future endeavours.
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Polished version of the Engagement Tool

The engagement tool from the co-design session was refined with updated graphics and a more generalised guide to better meet the stakeholders' needs.
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Polished version of the Final Enagement tool handed over to FACT

This box contains the puzzle and guide, which are now in the possession of FACT, Forres.
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As a token of appreciation, the Stakeholder (Ruth) wrote me this letter.

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Stakeholder explaining the engagement tool to her colleagues

The Stakeholder (Member of FACT, Forres) now has possession of the engagement tool I designed. She plans to use it in her future meetings with the Forres community members and the FACT board of trustees. The tool is intended to spark engaging conversations about Forres’s hyperlocal challenges, using the puzzle as a creative framework to guide holistic discussions about current and potential issues facing the community.

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