ABSTRACT

Universities provide a nurturing environment for public interest design research, education, and practice. At the same time, the structures that govern higher education can inhibit the full potential of public interest design. Integrating the Scholarships of Application and Engagement into university policies for career advancement provides incentives for academics to take public interest design out of the classroom and into the field. Assimilating participatory and evidence-based, qualitative and quantitative methods into project design and assessment enhances the efficacy of public interest design interventions. Leveraging university resources to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, interorganizational partnerships, and multi-semester curricula that expose students to the broad range of activities involved in public interest design projects fosters the growth of the profession. Long-term relationships with partner communities and a consistent on-site presence help design teams establish dialogue and trust. Permanent, in-country centers for public interest design represent a potential next step toward the cultivation of public interest design research, education, and practice abroad.