How does it work?

Social Innovation Labs are made up of four phases:

Discovery

Multi-sectoral teams are guided through activities designed to expand their understanding of the systemic nature of a challenge, and uncover the root of the problem. Informed by systems thinking, lab participants explore the broader context and the dynamics between people, power, and resources related to the challenge.

Ideation

Participants then work through a rigorous design thinking process to generate many new ideas, the most promising of which are developed into prototypes.

Prototyping

These new ideas are developed into prototypes, which are then tested and refined. Teams use prototypes to test their assumptions about potential effective solutions. Following human-centred design practices, teams go out in the real world and test their ideas with users. The user feedback is tracked and integrated into further iterations of the prototype.

Implementation (post-lab)

High quality prototypes continue to evolve, learn, and adapt beyond the lab. Their success is dependent on supportive resources and commitment from the team. Successful prototype teams partner with existing organizations, community groups, or government agencies to continue the testing and eventual scaling of their idea.