"The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preconditions and products of interdisciplinary collaboration between community-based organizations and graphic designers. The study was conducted within the context of design charrettes, or rapid collaborative design events, to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between graphic designers and community organizations. Two research questions were addressed: First, to what extent do graphic designers' and community organizations' disciplinary values, objectives, and methodological approaches to community problem solving align? Second, is higher alignment between graphic designers' and community organizations' respective problem solving approaches associated with more effective collaboration, or more specifically, the creation of more integrated products? These questions were explored via a qualitative multiple-case study and comparative case analysis of four community design charrettes in Michigan. Across the four charrettes, alignment between the designers' and community organizations' problem solving approaches ranged from low to high, with two cases of moderate alignment. The charrettes with higher alignment created more integrated, collaborative products than those with lower alignment. The results suggest that the problem solving approaches of these two respective disciplines may not be constants that are easily defined; thus, alignment can vary. However, themes did emerge suggesting that certain aspects of these approaches (e.g., processes for defining the problem; experience working with or knowledge of the other discipline) may be leveraged given their association with the production of highly collaborative, interdisciplinary products. This speaks to a need for more training and practice in interdisciplinary approaches, like design for community change, as they appear to be more effective than later attempting to facilitate collaboration between two distinct disciplines. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how strategies like design charrettes can be used to integrate design and community change, and the implications of design-community collaboration and interdisciplinary practice."--Pages ii-iii.
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