DIY Toolkit

A Comprehensive Resource

The Rockefeller Foundation identified a significant gap in resources for social innovators, noting the plethora of tools available but lacking relevance, often disaggregated and not contextualised for social innovators' specific needs. To address this, they partnered with Nesta to create a comprehensive knowledge resource tailored to social innovators worldwide, including social entrepreneurs, international development organisations, programme managers, government officers, CSOs, and grassroots organisations.

Nesta conducted a landscape analysis and peer review, narrowing down about 700 tools down to 30. They then collaborated with Quicksand (QS) and STBY to transform these tools into a practical innovation toolkit. The toolkit aimed to provide a range of peer-reviewed, tried-and-tested tools while considering language, vocabulary, and diverse settings and contexts within which these tools would eventually get used. Its design emphasised the importance of participatory methods, acknowledging the complex nature of social innovation, especially in the low-resource environments of the Global South.

Every tool has a concise description, downloadable worksheets, and practical instructions, such as the level of involvement required for a particular activity around a tool and how much engagement or time it might require to complete it. For instance, an ‘Experience Map’ is a tool suggested for those wishing to ‘Test and Improve’ their innovations, by creating an overview of how they engage with their stakeholders. The tool comes with a note that mentions the activity requires dialogue with colleagues and peers, and completing the activity may require time to interact and fill out the sheet collaboratively over a day.

There are diagrammatic and easy-to-understand tutorial videos to get one started. It is also available in a range of sizes as a PDF template for use in the field, that makes it easy to print and assemble large worksheet templates on a simple A4 printer which is likely the infrastructure available to practitioners in low-resource settings. The DIY Toolkit website also features a range of case studies and expert blog posts to help people put the tools into practice.

A Collaborative Process

Quicksand and our long-time partners STBY worked collaboratively to research, edit, and design the toolkit. This involved a preliminary landscape study to identify the best tools, led by the Rockefeller Foundation and Nesta, followed by a co-design activity for the initial toolkit. The first prototype involved creating a simple to understand, navigation structure that allowed practitioners to discover the right tool for their requirements quickly. The prototype was then tested with social innovation practitioners for further refinement. The project team assimilated all research findings into the final design of the toolkit, which involved creating a relatable brand (DIY - Development Impact and You), highlighting both the relevance of the toolkit for social innovators, as well as the hands-on nature of the toolkit. Other aspects of the toolkit involved creating an online platform for sharing the tools and related instructions for use, as well as designing and printing a publication for further dissemination.

The project followed a structured process, starting with research to identify key needs, ideating solutions, prototyping, and finally rolling out the toolkit. Noteworthy highlights included gathering feedback from innovators across Latin America, Africa and South Asia, to refine the toolkit's usability and relevance. Sessions were conducted with host organisations to test prototypes, providing valuable inputs for further refining the vocabulary and adaptability of the toolkit. For example, the toolkit's navigation structure adopted a first-person voice, facilitating ease of use and discoverability. Additionally, design choices such as two-colour printing, catered to diverse infrastructure availability, ensuring accessibility for primary beneficiaries—the innovators and changemakers themselves.

Impact and Success

The project's impact was significant, facilitated by Nesta and the Rockefeller Foundation's extensive network of first adopters. This network contributed to the toolkit's virality, resulting in over a million downloads across multiple languages. Endorsement by a large network of development sector partners, bolstered its reach, emphasising the importance of continual engagement and socialisation through institutional partnerships. Each tool was complemented by a film, enhancing its accessibility and usability. Testimonials further underscored the toolkit's effectiveness, validating its role in empowering social innovators worldwide.

The DIY Toolkit was originally launched in 2014, and it has been a runaway success among design and innovation professionals around the globe. In its first year, it was already viewed over 300,000 times in over 165 countries. Over the years, translations have been made into 10 languages. The toolkit is published under a Creative Commons licence and is therefore freely available online. Many tools also have one or more case studies that describe their use in the context of specific projects, organisations, and cultures.

Relaunch

The current relaunch of the DIY Toolkit celebrates the revival of the original website. As Nesta was no longer able to support the maintenance of the site, STBY and Quicksand have offered to take care of this. Since the site had not been accessible for a while, we received many queries about this and are happy to announce that everyone now has full online access again. These PDFs can be downloaded from the website www.diy-toolkit.org and also from the websites of Nesta and STBY.