TRANSFORMING RAC’S INTERNAL INNOVATION PROCESS
Design Research | Service Design
Client
Reanda Art Conservation
Year
2023
Role
Business & Service Designer
Context
Reanda Art Conservation (RAC) in Chicago, Illinois, faced a challenge. Despite being a women-owned business specializing in old masters paintings, it struggled to attract interns in the competitive field of art conservation.
With most students opting for museum internships, RAC found itself competing for a limited pool of candidates. Determined to grow and become a leading center for conservation, RAC sought to bridge this gap by offering valuable opportunities to aspiring conservators
Approach
Recognizing the pivotal role of graduate school mentors in guiding students' internship choices, I embarked on a mission to sell RAC to these influential figures. Through interviews with mentors across various universities, I uncovered a prevailing preference for museum internships.
I set out to showcase the unique learning experiences RAC could offer beyond traditional conservation work. Collaborating with RAC's team, we developed innovative educational initiatives to attract interns, including workshops on business management and client interactions.
We also leveraged RAC's founder's extensive expertise to create compelling value propositions for potential interns, highlighting the wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience they could gain at RAC
Impact
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I conducted interviews with owners of other conservation business as well as graduate students from different universities to learn more about their internship experiences.
Also conducted Surveys with professionals in the industry and graduate students. We collected 30 student responses as well as 40 business responses.
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I used a mix of AEIOU and POEMS frameworks to synthesize all the primary and secondary research we conducted. We used thE AEIPM framework - Activities, Environment, Interaction, People, Messages.
I clustered all the findings from the interviews using this framework in inform insight clusters which were then used t generate opportunities with the RAC team.
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To understand the current system well, I developed system maps about the top three US conservation universities and how they related to RAC’s strengths, which helped map out change interventions for the future.
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I conducted three workshops with the RAC team which consisted of 5 members.
Finding Opportunities Workshop - where the founder and I together found opportunity spaces with the help of insights.
Impact to Effort Workshop - where the whole team ideated the insights on a 2x2 impact to effort session. We also aligned the opportunities on a 5 year timeline.
Future Scenario Planning Workshop - where we co-designed what a future for RAC looked like.
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I created some prototypes of worksheets and in-person workshop sessions that RAC could hold with graduate students and other business owners who wanted to grow in the industry.
Our efforts bore fruit as RAC became increasingly recognized among students and mentors. Through targeted outreach and strategic partnerships, we secured opportunities for summer 2024 internships.
Additionally, we prototyped a toolkit for educational workshops, laying the groundwork for RAC to emerge as a prominent educational hub in the art conservation community.
These initiatives not only addressed RAC's immediate need for interns but also positioned the company for sustainable growth and closer relationships with stakeholders in the industry.
Reflections
This journey taught me valuable lessons. I learned to embrace the uncertainty of entering a new industry, recognizing that humility and curiosity are essential when collaborating with experts.
Engaging in co-design workshops with RAC's team not only yielded stronger strategies but also fostered trust and morale within the company.
Through this experience, I discovered the power of teamwork in driving innovation and driving positive change.
Research Synthesis
Workshop at RAC with the founder
Insight generation from synthesis
CoDesign Workshop at RAC with the founder, operations lead and another conservator
Worksheet generation for future RAC workshops with students and other conservators - Value Proposition
Co-Design workshop for insight generation
Ecosystem map of RAC and other stakeholders
Co-Design Workshop at RAC with the founder, operations lead, another conservator and conservation intern.
RAC's value map with respect to other universities
Prototyping a workshop for RAC in their office space
Research clustering and insight generation
Insights to Opportunities Workshop with the founder
Leading an impact to effort workshop with RAC staff
Workshop at RAC with the founder
Conclusion
My internship at RAC has been a transformative journey, marked by collaboration, innovation, and growth. By strategically positioning RAC as an appealing destination for aspiring conservators and fostering a culture of excellence, we've set the stage for continued success.
This experience has not only enriched my understanding of the industry but has also solidified my passion for driving positive change through strategic collaboration and innovation.