Behavioral Design for Systems, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Fall 2024

How can a behavioral systems approach promote and support Chicago residents’ switch from seeing and dealing with extreme heat as a reactive response to acute conditions (i.e., a short-term emergency situation) to a chronic new norm of daily life (i.e., requiring a proactive mindset toward understanding and acting on extreme heat risk)? In this design workshop, we partnered with Elevate, a community-based organization, and the City of Chicago's Department of the Environment. Co-instructed with Professor Ruth Schmidt, the class investigated this question through prototyping, testing, creativity, critical thinking, and compassion.