What we do

WE HELP OUR PARTNERS DO 3 THINGS:

01 /  Ask the right questions & explore opportunities.

We use human-centered research methods to help our partners understand social challenges and frame their work around addressing them. 

02 /  Design, build, & launch innovations.

We help our partners imagine and create the future by translating research insights into new solutions which drive global change.

03 /  Publish beautiful research & tell great stories.

We produce compelling, easy to access research which helps our partners attract resources to projects and increase public engagement around causes. 

HOW WE WORK:

We are human-centered designers. 

Human-centered design puts people at core of the problem solving and solution development processes.  It enables us to dive deep into the lived experiences of the people closest to the challenges, tapping their innate knowledge and expertise to shape our ideation and sensemaking. This approach helps us to make sense of the world around us, starting with a participatory and inclusive approach to research.

We <3 research (and strategy).

Our combination of design research and strategy is unique. As much as we value action, we are grounded in our belief that taking the time required to truly understand a problem is how we produce great research and ultimately deliver better results. But we don't just stop there. While our research reveals the unobvious, and often, unexpected, we put just as much effort into translating novel insight into tangible, and specific opportunities for design. 

We go where our work takes us.

Our portfolio of global field work currently spans three continents. Stepwell is structured into a pop-up studio model, which means each new project deploys a team to be based in-context, fully immersed into the on-ground reality of the issues we are studying. While on ground, we spend significant amounts of time outside the studio, working directly with governments, organizations, and community members to leverage an often untapped local aptitude for creative problem solving. 

Our team has experience working in a growing list of countries: Canada, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and the United States.

We tell stories.

We believe in telling compelling stories that help people around the world stay inspired and informed about the challenges of today's evolving world. Within our team you'll find a passion for making research open, easy to understand, and accessible. Our small team believes that we'll come up with better solutions when projects engage the ideas and expertise of multiple players, across sectors and geographies.