There is a common misconception that design is only for those who lean into their left brains and are exceptionally artistic. It is fancy and for those with resources to spare and the time to fuss over almost imperceptible differences between taupe and mauve. Design is the stuff art museums are made of and over which creatives have lofty debates. But when it comes down to it, design is simply a plan. Design is taking time to think about the result of space so that it is most impactful for your needs and uses. It's the act of compiling all of the elements that can be anticipated in a space and all the ways a space will influence the elements and arranging them to have the greatest impact and functionality. 

For our design project, we worked with a community resources group that works with community members from all different backgrounds and with vastly different access to time, money, and other resources. We were tasked with creating a resource that could help guide people with creating their own edible gardens, regardless of their space access or income. What we learned is that you do not need very much to put intention into a space. Many of the physical elements of a garden can be made and up-cycled from items found around the house or from community resources. You can take advantage of almost any space to grow your own food. While a backyard is great, all you really need is a window sill and some sun. The design also does not have to be unique. There are plenty of resources that already exist for a vast array of design problems. Utilizing these existing resources is a great way of integrating design into your space. By using the resources you already have access to, anyone can inject design into their space. With a bit of consideration and the knowledge of where to look, any space can be planned into a design that creates the functionality and productivity you are looking for. 

 Allison Krausman

We've all experienced our first taste of independence in college, whether it's landing a job, living on our own, or mastering the art of laundry. What once seemed like a distant dream in high school has now become routine, perhaps taken for granted. Contemplating life without this freedom feels daunting and stifling, where every aspect is dictated—where to sleep, what to eat, what to do, and who to talk to. Some participants at Sacred Roots Farm have endured this restrictive lifestyle for so long that it became their norm, leaving them uncertain about any other way of living. In response to our clients' desire to empower participants towards independence, we envisioned a space at Sacred Roots Farm that fosters this journey.

As a Christian-based non-profit, Sacred Roots Farm prioritizes creating a space for participants to engage in their religious practices without imposing Christianity. We proposed an open-air chapel near the existing natural pond, aiming to provide a safe haven for diverse spiritual practices. The thoughtful planting scheme incorporates sensory stimulation, appealing to sight, smell, and sound, to create a tranquil atmosphere. The envisioned chapel aims to be a space where participants can fully enjoy its benefits, serving as a reminder that their freedom is an inviolable aspect of their lives, offering them choices regardless of their past experiences.

I hope that the participants can enjoy the chapel, once it's built, to its fullest extent. I hope that they realize that their freedom can never be taken away and they will always have a choice in life no matter what.

Cameron Castorina

As landscape architects, we possess a distinctive opportunity to design in a manner that extends beyond mere visual appeal. While visual aesthetics undoubtedly hold significance and drive many decisions made throughout the design process, the integration of multi-sensory elements elevates the human experience within a space, captivating users on a deeper, more visceral level. The inclusion of auditory components, such as the gentle rustling of leaves or the soothing flow of water, alongside tactile features like diverse textures underfoot, the alluring fragrance of blooming flowers, and even the taste of edible plants, establishes a harmonious and immersive environment. This design approach nurtures personal connections between individuals and nature, which has been shown to promote mental and physical wellness, mindfulness, and a heightened appreciation for the landscape. 

by Ruby Vaughn

Knowing the intended user group of a site design is one of the most important factors of the design process. The site that we worked on throughout the semester was dedicated to staff, parents, and children; however, different areas of the site were split between those groups. One purpose of redesigning the entrance way was to make it more obvious for people visiting, rather than the staff who already knew the building. The courtyard of the main building, while appearing to be a center space, is primarily used by staff, since parents mostly use the resource building. The back field, a large, open greenspace that they used for community events, was still mostly used by children to play. When the client wanted us to design a playground for the site, we didn’t realize until later that the playground needed to be built for toddler age children rather than grade school children.

As a designer, you can look at a site and believe that you know how to optimize the space for an assumed user group, and for the most part they can on a site without many preexisting features. However, while working in a site with features that are actively used by guests or residents, a designer needs to work and adapt with the site materials that they have rather than working around them. The more that you understand the person that you are designing for, the better experience you can provide for them.

by Jeana Donohue

It's important to have frequent exchanges of ideas with your customers when designing for community participation, especially before making big decisions, and never pretend you know what your customers want.

For example, initially, the designer receives information that the client desires an attractive entrance. And if the designer pretends to know that rest area is what client exactly want for the attraction entrance, Something interesting will happen like the picture above. Maybe the rest area under a tree and a logo sign surrounded by the flowers are both attractive. But unfortunately, logo sign is client's expectation.

Although the example is a little bit exaggerated, but what I learn is as a designer, frequent and effective communication with clients is necessary. Never pretend that you know it!

(The real story behind the picture is when I did the detailed design of the entrance area. It took me a lot of time to generate the ideas because I did't receive the specific decision from the clients. Also I hesitated to call them or frequently send them follow up email. But accidentally, I had a interview with the client not for the studio but for my thesis. And then I asked the client directly and got what I want. Finally I found my hesitation was a waste of time and frequent communication is important.)

by Pengling Xia

When planning community design activities such as digital surveys, visualization exercises, or large meetings, one must keep in mind that each community's composition is different and so are there needs. 

Similarly to how one might conduct a site analysis to determine design themes and priorities, before conducting community engagement, it's good to conduct a stakeholder analysis to determine how to design community design activities that are most accessible to community members. Who is our target audience? Is there a way we should prioritize community members depending on their stake in the project? What questions does the community need to answer? When and where are the most community members available? After answering questions like these, we can begin designing methods of community engagement most suited to our respective communities.

by Kayla McCartney

In our community engagement studio in landscape architecture, we recognized the intrinsic connection between effective design and the collaborative trust established with the community. Acknowledging the pitfalls of superficial design thinking, our team delved into a process that aimed to address not just the apparent issues, but to genuinely understand and respond to the nuanced needs of the residents.

Our approach involved the strategic use of virtual meetings and online surveys to facilitate communication with community members. This method offered a flexible platform for residents to share their insights at their convenience, ensuring a broader reach. 

The emphasis on residents' convenience in providing feedback reflects our commitment to creating a space that aligns with their lifestyles and preferences. By steering away from a one-size-fits-all approach, we strived to tailor our design to the unique characteristics and aspirations of the community. Ultimately, our community engagement efforts were not just a means to gather information but a genuine collaboration that informed a landscape architecture design attuned to the heartbeat of the community it serves.

by Sandhya Muralidharan

When designing a site with a past historical use, it can be important to make references to that past use in your design.

I learned quickly after presenting our initial design ideas that the community members felt most excited by the elements that nodded to the site’s past use. Recreating the yearbook photo planter, for example, was appreciated greatly by the community. It is important to include these small, yet impactful elements to show to your client that you care about the existing soul of the space.

by Brooke Freeman

Between the logistics of planning meetings and the specifics of cost estimates, it can be a challenge to remember that design is supposed to be fun! 

The more you enjoy the work, the more your work will benefit the community. So take the time to make connections within your community, whether that’s through spending time drawing with kids at a community meeting or staying late to listen to what a community member has to say. These interactions will be more fun for you and will make the final product more meaningful by giving you insight into the community. Who knows, you might even end up designing a fruitcake-themed playground!

by Nick Riker

For me, this was one of the first projects in which I felt as though I was truly making an impact on the people I was serving. When first presented with options for what studio project to choose from at the beginning of the semester, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a part of the Bigger Vision team. Being able to work with and assist the staff and guests of Bigger Vision have been such a joy. 

Every engagement activity and meeting brought its own set of lessons and challenges. 

This project challenged me to go beyond the typical design process that I had ever encountered. With so many various opinions and restrictions, it oftentimes was difficult to see if there was any light at the end of the tunnel. Oftentimes during engagement activities, guests did not show any interest in the activities that we were conducting. However, it was the two or three guests that were always interested and encouraging that kept our spirits high.  I believe that even amidst these struggles, my team and I created a beautiful plan that will serve the organization well. 

I will always remember one of the staff members telling us that we were "the best group of students that Bigger Vision had ever worked with." Our work meant more to them than just plants drawn on paper. It meant new growth, new beginnings, and hopefully, a new chapter for Bigger Vision. I am very thankful to have been a part of helping out a local non-profit that provides so much for this city! I am excited to see the outcome and lasting impact that this project will have in the years to come! 

by Kristin Partlow

The most significant impact that the Bigger Vision design project had on me was the understanding of the importance of inclusion of marginalized communities in place design. 

People who are experiencing homelessness are often users of public spaces, in some cases, the main user group. The ethical importance of including those who are experiencing homelessness in landscape design and land planning processes is something which I have studied extensively outside of this project and this class. To see the process in action, and to see the effects that it had on the community, was such a privilege because it instilled in me the impact that participatory design has on a community. Guests of Bigger Vision lit up when they got the chance to talk with us about their ideas, and in that first night of outreach, many guests expressed to us their excitement for the project and to see the final product. In the last night of outreach when we presented the designs to the guests, those who were there that first night were joyful to see the project come to fruition and everyone expressed to us how excited they were for the project to be implemented. As important as it is to include marginalized communities in the design process, its nice to see the emotional uplifting that comes from design engagement and to know that our outreach not only benefited Bigger Vision Shelter, but brought some joy to it's guests. 

by Ellie Hair

As a community, we are one. When people from different areas of the community work together, they often discover that they have a lot in common. When groups that often feel ignored now feel that their opinion matters, they can gain a greater sense of control over their lives and their community. The more people that are involved in the process and are willing to work toward the goal, the greater the chance it has at being successful. Collaboration is key to achieving positive change within a community.

I still remember stepping onto the site for the first time, and how my mind was racing with ideas about my new vision for the space. This project taught me to pause, and let the community speak first before I decide what I think would be best. I learned how to effectively listen and learn from the community. Looking at our final design, it is rewarding knowing that we created something that fits the wants and needs of the community. Thank you to all the members at Bigger Vision and my team for an amazing adventure!

by Morgane Coleman

After spending a semester hanging out with 10 year olds, teaching, learning, observing, and playing, I have learned that there is no fear when you are having fun. It is a humbling experience learning something from a person half your age. Yet, I was completely inspired by these students to enjoy designing. The Westminster students reminded me what it feels like to love art again, something that has felt like a chore recently. These students showed me what it really looks like to enjoy the process without fear of messing up. No matter the result, you had fun making it. 

This semester we collaborated with Family Connection, an organization that operates in every county in Georgia. 

Family Connection envisions a Georgia in which all children are healthy, well-prepared for school, and achieve academic achievement. They strive for secure and self-sufficient families, focusing on local collaboration to create and implement community-specific initiatives.

Our design engagement process aligns with Family Connection's planning process, which includes assessing needs and resources, creating goals and priorities, reviewing solutions, and measuring results.

 This collaborative method is based on the notion that effective community improvement demands a focused, and locally based strategy. 

"Community Is Canvas," is a driving idea, that highlights the diversity inside a community, each one having its own distinctive textures, hues, and patterns. 

We used a collaborative approach with our client and their liaisons throughout the semester. 

To conduct design review sessions, we used a variety of digital presentation tactics. Direct engagement with Family Connection prosperity zone leaders proved to be a great source to help align our design ambitions with their aspirations and requirements.

In addition to community engagement activities, we methodically developed project themes and objectives, matching them with the larger aims of Family Connection and its residents. Our design process included completing a thorough community analysis to uncover specific issues, opportunities, and the cultural nuances that lie in between. This impacted our design decisions, ensuring that our solutions are not only contextually relevant but also contribute significantly to the well-being of the community.

Communities hold a wealth of knowledge about their own needs and wants. Throughout this semester I have discovered the importance of listening to local voices and the integration of their insights into the design process. Landscape architects play a crucial role in shaping the built environment, and designing spaces that align with the needs of the community. Engaging with members of the community throughout the design process allows landscape architects to gather valuable insights into their preferences, aspirations, and daily routines. This helps foster a sense of ownership and belonging for the residents and helps create a space that integrates the fabric of the community together.

Throughout this semester, my groupmates, and I, have been working alongside Family Connection Athens to provide resources for the community members and leaders regarding the issue of food insecurity. In order to get a better grasp of the severity of the issue In the greater Athens area, we conducted extensive research to analyze the community, and spoke with each of the prosperity zone leaders. These leaders and residents were able to give us vital information and history on the area, allowing us to formulate a guidebook based on the specific needs and wants of the community’s residents.

In our studio, we found that to effectively design for a community, it was crucial to move beyond superficial observations. Immersing ourselves in the delicate intricacies of a community's goals, understanding its unique values, practices, and methods of rehabilitation became essential. 

Throughout this process, we realized that every community possesses its own narrative. 

Our team dedicated significant effort to develop spaces on the property intended to impart life lessons in a simple manner, later applicable to more complex life situations. For instance, the design of the knot garden is structured to instill a sense of responsibility for a plant, serving as a metaphor for fostering accountability in one's own personal growth. This concept underscores the perception that individuals often have varied experiences with every facet of life, whether stemming from past occurrences or anticipations of future events. 

Crafting designs for individuals necessitates a profound comprehension of their aspirations and objectives.By actively participating in the process, be it through on-site visits or receiving consistent feedback from our clients, we gathered informative information to create spaces that achieved their needs and desires.  

While the focus of our designs was on growth, an important aspect of growth is allowing ourselves to digest our experiences, consider how we've changed because of them, and learn how to relinquish that which no longer serves us. 

While my team researched elements that cater to those suffering from PTSD, those studies don't effectively communicate the burden the participants carry. The most difficult part of this project was putting myself in their shoes to imagine a place that would be best suited for their needs. To accomplish these goals, we designed a space with simple tasks that can teach participants how to nurture and prune a garden, and apply that knowledge to their lives. 

Community design is a direct result of collaboration and trust.  It can be easy to fall into the trap of surface level design thinking, where a concept only seeks to solve the most apparent problems presented to us. 

Our team conducted virtual meetings and released online surveys to communicate with residents.  These formats enabled residents to share their feedback when it was most convenient for them, enabling us to reach more community members.  A combination of multiple-choice and short answer questions encouraged collaboration, resulting in a space that best suited their needs.  

by Isabella Rossy

Community engagement isn’t only about gathering opinions; it includes embracing diverse perspectives and empowering voices that often go unheard within a community.  By actively involving residents, stakeholders, and local groups, it fosters a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride in the design process. Inclusivity is the foundation of community design, where every viewpoint contributes to the community’s vision, creating rich spaces that resonate with character and sense of identity to the people who live there.  Moreover, what may be aesthetically pleasing to some might evoke contrasting sentiments in others, highlighting the difference between designer and patient preferences. For instance, in our Advantage Behavioral Health project survey, a patient expressed enjoyment of the proposed water features, yet a clinic staff member opposes them due to being potential triggers for patients.

Collaboration becomes not just a method but a process that further nurtures design that reflects the identity and voice of the community. 

Equality would ensure that simply ecological and creative designs would compose the field of landscape architecture. In simplistic terms, the profession would only concern physical spaces, interaction with the environment, people, creativity, and each of their individual and combined interactions with one another. This topic even expands into the sector of both public and private spaces. Whether they were designing a large, public park or a small, private backyard, landscape architects and designers would still do thorough research into every dynamic of the site (past site history and information and current site conditions), engage in community involvement (who does this site currently serve, who is this site intended for, and how do people want to or currently use and envision this site), positively impact the ecology of the site (are there weather conditions to be aware of to enhance or mitigate on or around the site, what plants are native to this site and how to  introduce them to promote biological diversity, designing around the existing but beneficial vegetation, and accommodate for physical site challenges), and lastly, design, while keeping the aforementioned in mind with each aspect’s relationship and effects on each other, with unlimited creativity. This ideal design field would ultimately pose one challenge, and that would be to design a cohesive and creative design that “solves” all of these “challenges” to the best of their ability; which, in an ideal design field (a world with equality) would translate into a “perfect” design. 

Well-designed gardens can have a positive impact on people's mental health. Elements such as color schemes, natural textures, and greenery can help reduce stress and improve mood. This knowledge has given me practical insights into creating healing environments that cater to the emotional needs of rehab center occupants. Integra environmental psychology principles in garden design can improve the overall well-being of individuals undergoing rehabilitation. Healing gardens can provide a sense of calm, comfort, and hope within the therapeutic embrace of nature.

 It's important to tailor the garden design to meet each patient's unique needs and experiences. A well-designed outdoor space can be a therapeutic extension of the rehabilitation process. This has led to a commitment to user-centered design. It's important to consider the visual aspects of design and the emotional and sensory elements that can make a profound difference in the lives of those undergoing rehabilitation. This understanding encourages designers to approach future projects with a heightened sensitivity to the psychological impact of each element. Architecture has the power to contribute significantly to the holistic well-being of individuals and communities alike.

Embarking on the landscape design project was a journey filled with enthusiasm and enlightenment. As an architect and landscape designer, it is easy to get carried away with exciting ideas, confident that a visually stunning design will undoubtedly translate into success. However, this project became a poignant reminder that great ideas, while a crucial starting point, do not guarantee effective results. The challenge lies in understanding that the heart of successful design lies in the ability to resonate with the end users. Balancing aesthetics and functionality was not merely a matter of visual appeal; it was about creating an environment that genuinely meets the needs of those we aimed to serve.

Amidst the limitations, a pivotal lesson emerged: the significance of collecting comprehensive information about the user group, particularly when the direct interaction was limited. The project illuminated the critical role of user-centric design, teaching me that success is rooted in a profound understanding of the unique experiences and preferences of the individuals for whom we are designing. The journey prompted a shift in perspective, emphasizing the need to move beyond assumptions and rely on tangible data. Through surveys and collaboration with facility facilitators, we bridged the gap. We gained insights that shaped our design, ultimately reinforcing the importance of humility and a commitment to prioritizing user needs in every design endeavor. This challenging project has significantly influenced my approach, encouraging a more thoughtful, empathetic, and user-focused design mindset.