Starling

Group of people gathered outside a modern building called Starling, with a blue wall, and a white steel canopy, waiting in line or socializing.
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Get In.Field

Project Context

Location: 3243 W. 16th St. Chicago, IL, North Lawndale
Scale: 6,000 sf (2,500 sf indoors)
Construction Type: New Construction
Use: Public amenity

Starling is a new kind of building for people to gather, replenish, learn, and create to uplift our individual and collective liberations.

Located in North Lawndale, Chicago, the building offers flex spaces for neighbors to spend time with friends, read a good book, make art, relax in nature, or just hang out - all while enjoying a great cup of coffee, provided by Monday Coffee Co.

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In.Practice

In.Practice

!

Grounding
with intention

Community Engagement Aspiration

Given that this would be the first new construction project of this kind in this part of 16th St. in over 60 years, Duo (the development team) wanted to be sure that this building was deeply informed by the needs and aspirations of the residents of North Lawndale all the way from the design, into the construction, and well into the operations of the building.

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How In.Field facilitated community engagement

The Kit provided the structure for all the different types of engagement that needed to take place to bring this project to life. With the Kit in hand, the team was easily able to identify the questions they had yet to answer and make sense of all the insights they had already learned.

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1

Planning
Placemat

Community Engagement Principles

The team constantly reflected upon the Community Engagement Principles, and a large focus was placed on the principle to Foster Ownership and Identity, from celebrating identities, activating the vacant lot before construction, and building in shared ownership for the building once it became operational.

Planning Placemat

  • The Timeline and Key Dates portion of the placemat was helpful to have alignment with the team and be able to share and communicate the expected length of time the project would take with people the team engaged.

  • The aspiration statement was a north star to make sure that when changes to the design of the building had to be made, they would follow and stay true to the intended concept and intent. This helped align vendors and contractors to work together toward a common goal.

  • The Fieldwork Plan was a helpful tool to avoid asking questions that had already been answered by past reports or organizations. This helped the team prioritize attending existing events, and meeting people where they already were to avoid adding the burden of additional meetings.

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2

Methods
and Tactics

The main methods used by the team were: Field Observations, Surveys, Public Meetings, Focus Groups

Below, are details of each of the tactics that were used within each method.

Field Observations

-> Photo Journal to capture observations from walks and engagement opportunities across the neighborhood

-> Guided Tour from local organizations and neighbors

-> Observations across Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects, Users (AEIOU)to capture a wide range of information

-> Intercepts, lots of intercepts to get to know the neighbors more and meeting them where they were

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Surveys

-> Shopkeeper to help distribute surveys in person across local networks

-> Online surveys to reach a wider set of people that could not be met in person

Illustration of a clipboard with checkboxes and lines, labeled 'Surveys' at the bottom, on an orange background.

Public Meetings

-> Co-creation sessions using a scale model to get resident feedback

Illustration of three people at a public meeting on a green background, with one person shaking hands with another and a third person standing nearby. Text reads 'Public Meetings' and 'Method & Tactic.'

Focus Groups

-> Group Discussions with various communities across the neighborhood

-> Rapid Prototyping for quick ideating and design ideas

A red card with the number 3 in the top left corner, the text '1m. Field' written vertically on the right side, a black and white target with a yellow lightning bolt hitting the center, and the words 'Focus Groups' in the bottom left corner.

Accessibility & Delight Cards

A detailed architectural model of a building with modern design, surrounded by miniature trees, people, and street scenes, displayed on a table at an indoor event.
A green-themed informational card titled 'Public Meetings Delight' with advice on facilitating memorable experiences, including sections labeled A to D about making meetings interactive, engaging the senses, showing appreciation, and fostering connection. Each section contains tips and methods to improve public meetings.
Guide on making public meetings accessible, including tips on venue selection, communication, seating, materials, and accommodations.
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The team ensured that meetings were not adding unreasonable burdens to participants’ busy schedules and they also included child care when possible through local partners.

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3

Synthesis Methods

Engagement Synthesis Cards

The Observations, Insights, and Implications card helped the team translate all their findings into actionable design insights.

The Community Composition tactic was used to align on the diversity and needs in the neighborhood. This allowed the team to identify 5 different behavior types to design for.

Duo’s Innovation Lenses allowed the team to see purely beyond the Economics of a project, and apply lenses of culture, ethics, technology, and ecology to the project.

Infographic titled "Observations, Insights, Implications" with visuals of an eye, brain, and arrow. Describes the structured flow of synthesizing findings for decision-making. Objectives and uses include outlining project implications and problem-solving.
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Starling

Three people smiling and standing close together in front of a blue background. They are wearing blue jackets.
Illustration of a yellow light bulb with red beams on a purple background.
Illustration of three raised hands in red, purple, and blue on an orange background.
Three colorful stars with a burst effect on a red background.
Cartoon of three diverse faces inside a triangle on a purple background.
Four connected circles with symbols: heart, triangle, question mark, and light bulb on a red background.
Illustration of five cartoon faces in colorful circles on a green background.
Cartoon character with a speech bubble
Icon of a blue house with three abstract people inside on a polka dot background.
Learn more about Starling

Get In.Field

Get In.Field

Hand holding In.Field kit for public engagement in a room with people in the background.
Open box of kit displaying instructions, folded planning placemat, and 6 decks of cards for methods and synthesis
A set of colorful cards laid out on a table, each representing different research methods: Public Meetings, Focus Groups, Interviews, Surveys, Field Observations, and Synthesis Methods. In the background is a printed document with detailed information and an open case.
A collection of educational cards arranged on a surface. The cards are divided into categories like "Interviews" and "Surveys," each with different topics such as "Online Survey," "Survey Design 101," "Question Types," "Street Surveying," "Discussion Guides," and "In-Depth Interview." Each card contains an objective and use case.
"In Field" text on dark background

The Kit 

$85.00

  • 1 In.Field Kit (carrying case 8.5”x12”x1”, instructions, 1 planning placemat, 25 tactics cards, 5 accessibility and delight cards, 5 synthesis cards)

  • Digital kit files

  • Invitation to special events from Duo and Elevated Chicago!

Get In.Field
Learn more
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In.Field   

group trainings

Pricing varies, please contact us to learn more

The value of our training:

  • Tailored half-day interactive workshop for your teams

  • Learn to use the Kit through real-life scenarios and case studies

  • In-depth overview on what went into the design of the kit

  • One kit for each participant

  • Digital kit files

  • Invitation to special events from Duo and Elevated Chicago!

Learn more

Need Accommodations?
Let us know!

Discounted options are available if resources are a constraint for you and/or your organization. Please contact us so we can discuss a plan of action that best fits your needs.

Also available upon request:

  • Special group/bulk order pricing

  • Large font format

  • Translated versions (any language you want!)

Contact Us

Let’s
Chat!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and someone from the Duo Development team will be in touch.