Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Barnes.
Hi Stacy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I originally moved to Minnesota sight unseen to go to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design after graduating from high school. I grew up in Cheyenne Wyoming and still remember thinking how big the city seemed.
After graduation, I moved to New York and worked as a graphic designer on books, websites, branding, etc. A few years later I landed a job at the global design and innovation firm IDEO and became a practitioner of the human-centered design methodology. I ended up moving to India to help them start an office there, then made my way to San Francisco where IDEO.org, the global non-profit is located, to help build up that studio.
I decided to go out on my own about seven years ago. Since then I’ve worked with some incredible organizations from all over the world tackling a diverse array of issues through design (i.e. malnourishment prevention, youth reproductive health, adult education, and rural agriculture to name a few).
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am incredibly grateful for all the opportunities my work has provided, but it hasn’t always been smooth. The hardest part of my work has been learning how to deal with the loneliness it often brings. Loneliness in terms of travel and feeling unrooted for many years. Loneliness in terms of being able to relate to other people about the environments I’ve worked in, people I’ve met, and inequities I’ve witnessed.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a design researcher and strategist who helps organizations tackle important social and business issues. A few of the briefs I’ve worked on:
- How might we help Americans make better decisions about homeownership to avoid taking on too much debt? ?
- How might we minimize post-harvest loss across Sub-Saharan Africa?
- How might we provide sexual reproductive health information and access to adolescents in rural and urban Kenya so they can make decisions about their bodies that work for them?
- How might we create a people-positive roadmap for a global company to prepare them for the next 50 years?
- How might we catalyze the emotional, intellectual, and economic well-being of 330,000 hourly employees in the U.S.?
- How might we create an end-to-end agricultural value chain that improves the lives of smallholder farmers in India while remaining profitable?
- How might we design new offerings to attract and serve patient populations a health system is struggling to engage?
- How might we refresh a global apparel brand to create alignment between design divisions and speak more directly to their target customers?
My role in these projects is usually end-to-end, meaning I spearhead a small team to conduct the user/consumer research, synthesize the findings, create actionable recommendations, then build and bring them to life (that’s where my training as a graphic designer comes in).
Some of the most impactful projects I’ve worked on are service design systems related to youth reproductive health and medicine in Subsaharan Africa. They were each very successful in terms of meeting client targets, being scalable, and remaining financially viable.
What sets me apart is my ability (and willingness) to jump in at any part of the process and take on any role that needs filling. I love working on end-to-end solutions that enable me to touch a product, service, or brand through all stages of development.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I try to connect with past colleagues and clients every so often to just catch up and say hello. I want to be friends with the people I work with and for. Reaching out to see what’s new can be fulfilling on a personal level and professionally beneficial.
I also love to connect people to opportunities if something comes across my desk and I can’t be a part of it. I find folks are eager to return the favor when they can.
Contact Info:
- Email: sbarnes0984@gmail.com
