My approach
Rosalva’s approach is rooted in the belief of connectedness. There is a beautiful Mayan greeting in Lak’ech, which speaks to the understanding of the human as a vibrant being and the concept of oneness. In Lak’ech has been interpreted to mean I am you, and you are me, or I am another yourself. True to this value, Rosalva designs and facilitates processes and spaces by leaning into storytelling and learning about the stories people carry with them. She creates generative and bold spaces for people to thrive, hosting conversations where we can share our beliefs, opinions, laughter, heartaches and dreams together.
“It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”
― Angela Y. Davis, Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a problem-solving framework with human perspectives at each phase of a project’s process. It is a creative approach to problem-solving that starts with and centers the people most impacted and ends with generative solutions:
It’s about cultivating deep empathy, relationships, and collaborative governance. Making space for generating ideas, building iterative small-scale, low-cost, low-risk prototypes, and testing out implementation together.
It embodies intentionality, reflection, and mindful design which recognizes history and healing as necessary building blocks. Inviting diverse perspectives into the process to acknowledge and disrupt unhealthy power constructs.
It considers “feasibility, viability, and desirability while considering the real needs and desires of people (IDEO).”
Ultimately, it allows us to move forward in shared work without having all the answers to complex and intersectional problems. We are more likely to create useful and meaningful things when we design with intention.
