INTERACTIVE TOOL DESIGN

The organization: The University of Chicago is one of the world’s leading research universities. The To&Through Project strives to increase high school & post-secondary completion for under-resourced students of color in Chicago by helping educators make meaning of data in ways that support and shift practice. They analyze and share both quantitative and qualitative data on the educational journeys of CPS students.

The change: The Data & Research Team initiated a “collateral re-imagination” project to audit and update a large catalogue of resources, repackaging their presentation to various audiences. What story are these resources telling? How could they better support the work of various stakeholders? How can data and stories be used together to drive continuous improvement?

The story: Foreword Motion consulted with To&Through and Sandbox Studio to create a new website landing page, “Numbers & Narratives”, and its redesigned collateral. This interactive site blends qualitative and quantitative data to tell stories of Chicago students that are informative, accessible, asset-based, and hopeful. “Numbers & Narratives” will guide practitioners to offer targeted support to students along their educational journeys.

Prototype in Development

The process and guidance that you provided was incredibly helpful for our team. I think you have a unique ability to help push and guide our thinking in a way that left room for creativity but provided enough guide rails to help us make decisions and move the project forward. You clearly have a deep appreciation and understanding for educators and school communities and it made working together particularly easy. I also just appreciated the positivity and creativity that you brought to our team spaces. It was a true pleasure to work with you and have you spend time with the team.

—Dominique McKoy, Executive Director, UChicago To&Through Project, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice