Empowering communities through social design practices: Lessons learned from post-disaster practices in Türkiye

Abstract

Socially engaged design initiatives play a critical role in empowering disadvantaged and confined social groups by seeking to improve their living conditions. Several social design practices operate in Türkiye, but these efforts have not been sufficiently studied or evaluated regarding their impact on community empowerment. Specifically, there is limited understanding of the actors involved, the nature of stakeholder collaboration, and the openness of design practices to both citizens and experts. This study aims to explore the strengths and weaknesses of existing social design practices in empowering disadvantaged communities, while also outlining key steps to improve future initiatives. The research examines 20 social design initiatives that followed the destructive earthquakes of February 6, 2023, in Türkiye. Findings indicate that 85% of the initiatives focused on developing design solutions for the living areas of disadvantaged people, while 50% aimed to empower residents through design and project implementation. Only three initiatives (15%) collaborated with public organizations, and just as many engaged in crowdsourcing activities. Notably, none of the initiatives included disadvantaged groups in the ideation process. Furthermore, many initiatives acted as design-driven initiators or facilitators rather than as mediators bridging diverse community interests. In response to these gaps, we identify key elements needed for enhanced social design practices that genuinely empower communities.