"design against prejudice" or how to improve the immigrant experience in Pamplona

Responding to the needs of society. This is the goal of the service-learning project 'Design Against Bias' (in Spanish, 'design contra prejuicios') in which the 2nd year students of the Degree have been working for months in design with different associations that serve immigrant communities in Pamplona. 

Thanks to the partnership with Tantaka, the time bank of the University of Navarra, students, professors and associations have been able to jointly design services that improve the integration and experience of migrants in the city. "This methodology combines academic learning with service to society or community service. Students not only acquire technical skills, but also develop an awareness of global citizenship and a real impact on their immediate environment," explains Natalia Couto, coordinator of Tantaka.

The entities that have participated in the project are Villa Teresita, association Irati, Descalzos 70, Red Cross, Itaka Escolapios, association SEI Elkartea, Cáritas de la Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Pilar ( Echavacoiz) and Pastoral Penitenciaria de Navarra. 

One of the milestones of the 'Design Against Bias' project was a co-creation workshop held recently at the School of Architecture of the University of Navarra. The event allowed ideas and reflections to take shape in a collaborative space, in which students and associations worked together. "Service design is a discipline that is characterized by encouraging the active participation of users in the design process. With this initiative we seek to create solutions that respond to the needs of communities, especially those that feel most excluded," explains School of Architecture professorÁlvaro Velasco.

For his part, visiting professor Fabrizzio Pierandreiadds: "We have order the students to go beyond prejudices - which we all have - and to be able to create dialogues and work with people with different ideas and experiences, and who perhaps come from worlds they don't even know; this undoubtedly brings quality and complexity to the projects.

Degree in design students at the co-creation workshop in which they collaborated with Katya Palafox, from Villa Teresita (in the center).

Identify the challenges and needs of migrant people.

The students have spent time with the associations and their users to identify the challenges and needs of migrants. "We are focusing on family members and young immigrants to see what kind subject challenges they may face when they arrive in Pamplona. The most impressive thing has been the interviews and seeing how these associations help them in their daily lives," says Tomás Vera, student of design. On the other hand, students Lucía Cabrera and Irati Ganuza have worked on a project with ex-convicted immigrants for their social reintegration. "We have focused on what causes have led them to prison and how they can deal with them once they get out," explains Lucía Cabrera.

"I have been very surprised to see how they have been able to analyze the status and be close to such a tough topic . I think that having a young and external perspective will help us to improve processes and even to better communicate what we do", says Katya Palafox, from Villa Teresita. Cristina Menéndez, from the Irati association , highlights the relationship that has been established between the university students and the associations: "We work with people who need school support, and having university students come to see what needs we have has been very interesting and gratifying. I'm sure positive things will come out of this project".