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Higher education institutions are often seen as slow-moving, burdened by layers of bureaucracy, and hesitant to adapt. Yet, despite these perceptions, universities hold a unique potential to drive innovation, especially across disciplines. With access to diverse expertise, cutting-edge research, and a culture of inquiry, higher education can be a powerful force in addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges. My experience at the da Vinci Center offers a glimpse into how this potential can be realized.

Community-engaged research is all about collaboration—bringing together the insights, experiences, and voices of those who are most affected by the issues we study. But how do we ensure that this collaboration is not just inclusive but also deeply impactful? Enter design thinking and LEGO Serious Play, two methodologies that can revolutionize how we approach participatory design in research.

Designing a survey might seem straightforward—just ask a bunch of questions, right? Well, not quite. If you want to gather meaningful, actionable insights, your survey needs to be rooted in a clear, well-thought-out hypothesis. Here’s how I approach survey design, with a focus on how hypotheses drive every decision in the process.