Visualising a shift in thinking: Designing a value object to support perpetrators of domestic violence

Abstract

This research focused on a group of people that don’t generally have a voice in everyday discourse – perpetrators of domestic violence. Stopping Violence Dunedin (SVD) is run by experienced facilitators who instead of placing blame on their clients, work to empower them with a sense of community and positive self-worth. These men, who often come from violent backgrounds themselves, are taught to build on their own sense of worth and work towards a positive life without violence. The strong sense of community that develops in group sessions at SVD plays a large part in their positive journey of change.

I developed a design inquiry by engaging in qualitative methods, led by the Double Diamond design methodology to discover and define a research problem. To understand the context and the people involved, this included research about perpetrators of domestic violence (DV), inquiry through practice (expert interviews and focus groups) as well as iterative design methods (sketching, word association, ideation, reflection, and feedback). Contextual research was combined with an inquiry of perpetrator stories in order to understand meaning and identity within this particular community. This was guided by the principles of the Double Diamond method, a non-linear design method exploring needs, ideas and opportunities of a project by using a Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver approach. The two-diamond approach first developed by IDEO works through a process of deep discovery using divergent thinking, followed by focused action. A critical viewpoint provided an understanding that cultural groups display varying degrees of complexities and communication design can work with communities to reframe possibilities towards achieving new goals.

By considering the system of interactions and experiences at Stopping Violence Dunedin, I identified a series of themes and milestones for the men which led to the development of a designed value object. A value object can refer to that which creates value for the user. In this case, the object created a value proposition, working to celebrate the milestones that these men reach in their journey of change supporting the possibility of an alternative future for the men – a future without violence