This February’s Wild Bunch Library Design Challenge asks students to propose ways to make the libraries’ collections, facilities or services more accessible and meaningful for users. Students will learn about design thinking and the principles of human-centered design in a half-day workshop and apply those principles to propose best recommendations to a group of judges who will determine the winners.
Human–centered design (HCD) is a creative design and management framework that develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process. In this way, the library will be hearing from students—a crucial constituency–at a critical time, as we implement a new Integrated Library System (ILS).
First, second and third place cash prizes will be split between the winning team members, and the winning idea will be implemented. The awards are funded by the Wild Bunch, a dedicated group of alumni who have supported the library over the past 20 years through the Wild Bunch Acquisition and Lecture Funds, established to honor the late Chancellor Emeritus Alexander Heard and his wife, Jean Heard. The winners of the Wild Bunch Library Design Challenge will be inducted as members into the Wild Bunch.
Partnering in the Challenge with the Libraries and the Wild Bunch are Design for America, The Wond’ry, and DIVE (Design as an Immersive Vanderbilt Experience).