Solving the systemic issues that threaten our river ecosystems requires us to take a more rigorous approach to design than is frequently done.

For Laura Forlano’s Critical Contexts class, I watched the NatGeo documentary "Into the Okavango," which talked about the first expedition of the NWOGP, a team of scientists, researchers, and local guides attempting to form solutions to the emerging threats facing the landscape, wildlife and biodiversity around this river in southwest Africa. The film discussed the approach, challenges, and learnings of the NWOGP team.

Inspired, I sourced photos from Nat Geo's website and Instagram to visualize what I learned from the documentary through the lens of a multi-species ethnographic approach to design. The concepts synthesized from this work that are listed below challenge and build on traditional human-centered design methods that place humans at the center of a system that is in fact much larger than us. 

1) Identify the source of a problem to establish connections between different actors (human and non-human) in an ecosystem.

2) Acknowledge that other actors within a system have agency. This opens up larger research trajectories that go beyond human constraints and imagination.

3) Understand problems as multifaceted in order to consider larger impacts and broaden our definitions of success.

4) Prototyping methods should engage non-human actors so projects are not pivoted based solely on human needs.

“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.”

— David Brower