Empowering Young Women's Wellness
C A S E S T U D Y
A collaboration with Nike to create new wellness programming for young women in Chicago that supports their unique needs.
S E E K I N G
D E E P E R U N D E R S T A N D I N G
O F T H E N E E D
Research Question
What supports, resources, and environments are needed for young women in Chicago to achieve their wellness goals?
“Taking care of yourself and your emotions” and
“Self-love, self-care, and self-awareness”
— The shared definition of wellness created by young women participants
Design Criteria for Wellness Programming
W H A T W E C O - C R E A T E D
For new wellness programming in Chicago to reflect the needs and desires of young women in Chicago, the following visions, principles, insights, and community recommendations should guide its creation. The combination of these elements makes up the design criteria Nike must follow to create well-defined programming that benefits and positively impacts young women in Chicago.
VISIONS
Overarching aspirations of what young women in Chicago hope to attain in their day-to-day lives.
Tranquility
Self-Care, Self-Love
Emotional Release
PRINCIPLES
The ‘rules’ or guidelines that govern how to approach achieving the visions.
Acknowledge systemic issues
Create sanctuaries
Foster supportive relationships
Facilitate intentional practices
Promote self-expression
Prioritize mental health
C O - D E S I G N E R - C R E A T E D
V I S I O N C O L L A G E
Tranquility
A serene space
where one feels at ease.
PRINCIPLE
PRINCIPLE DESCRIPTION
Acknowledge systemic issues. Recognize systemic barriers that impact young women’s ability to achieve wellness.
Create sanctuaries.
Establish a place of refuge that allows young women to escape social pressures.
INSIGHT
Young women want inclusive spaces that are an escape from normalcy and positively impact their emotional wellbeing.
Young women value solitude in personalized spaces that are peaceful, comforting, and create a sense of belonging.
COMMUNITY
RECOMMENDATION
(ACTIVITIES)
watching movies
chilling on comfortable seating
going on theme park rides
COMMUNITY
RECOMMENDATION
(ACTIVATED SPACES)
quiet spaces
private spaces
colorful spaces
attractive and welcoming
green spaces
S E E K I N G
D E E P E R U N D E R S T A N D I N G
O F T H E N E E D
The Process
Project
Objectives
Surface challenges young women in Chicago face and what they need to achieve wellness.
1
Create shared visions, values and principles of the young women’s wellness in Chicago, specifically the South side.
2
Develop a design criteria that informs the design of the young women’s wellness initiative in Chicago.
3
CBD
Methodology
Engage young women in two co-design sessions to understand how they define wellness and
also, identify what activities will help them to be in control of
their wellbeing.
1
Future Framing Workshop
We convened a Design Committee composed of 15 young women to develop a shared definition and vision for wellness. They articulated their vision for wellness by sharing their barriers to achieving wellness and designing a neighborhood park that boosts their wellness.
Prototyping Workshop
In this second session, 15 young women expanded on the insights from the first workshop by co-creating a wellness festival for girls and young women in Chicago. The artifacts from this workshop refined their shared vision, principles, and goals, and elevated their desired wellness practices.
P R O J E C T
D E T A I L S
Nike
Gary Comer
Youth Center
PARTNER
Anti-Racist
Innovation Strategy
PROJECT TYPE
2 months
PROJECT TIMELINE
2 co-design
workshops
OUR PROCESS
30
participants
R E F L E C T I O N S A N D N E X T S T E P S
Our co-design process spotlighted the importance of developing wellness programming that helps young women in Chicago manage difficult and suppressed emotions, provides a safe and serene space, and supports their self-love and self-care routines. When considering the development of wellness programming, the design criteria provides a critical foundation to ensure these new experiences create greater change and elevate the experience of girls and female-identifying youth. Many of the young women shared their excitement for their ideas and desire to continue these co-design sessions to create wellness programming in Chicago. This process also specified the need for a wellness pillar to guide the multinational expansion of the initiative.
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