Groundwork

Image courtesy of IDEO

How have we approached the challenge?


We use world class design thinking to understand the user needs and wants for the library.

We have followed a curriculum developed by the innovation consultancy IDEO and +Acumen, a global learning community for social change-makers from 190 countries working to move the world forward.

Watch this 90" video to learn about the process three phases: inspiration, ideation and implementation.





Who has been involved?


  • Project lead: Maria Emilia Dutto (Millie) is a design thinking expert who has used human centered design to transform services at the British Library and libraries for Camden Council.

The extraordinary team of parents and teachers that worked:


  • Librarian (staff, part time) and space design lead: Viv Cross
  • Design thinking: led by Dennis Flood
  • Content: led by Margherita Trotta and Alex Rofe
  • Technology: led by Edu Garcia Carreras, and Zsofia Dedinszky.
  • Lunchtime volunteers: Carol Staple, Latka Vasilisin-Tack, Joana Rizzo, Hiromi Yioshoka, Margherita Trotta and growing...
  • Family time: Tamara Cilliers, Sandy Cassandro.
  • Contributors across teams: Carolina Annand, Aashima Sharma, Colin Shaw (Y3), Amy Salem (Y6), Beth Glaves (Y1), Daisy Dempster (Y1), Aidan Bruynseels (Y6), Helen Darling (Y5), Ebru Fuller, Catrin Gonzales Hagger, Sophie and Cath Chew.
  • Former lunchtime team: Heba El-Rimali, Barbara Sengara, Rebecca Peasnell, Anu Lal, Carmen Murphy Cabral and Vildan Torun.
  • And finally Zoe Stuart, Kamna Muralidharan, Evelyn Yung, Carmen Tang, Benedetta Johnson, Risa Okuyama, Alexandra Simpson, Martha Querishi, Lana Kochetova, Karin Graabaek and Michele Triegaardt-Cook are among parents who helped to progress the library content and space to where we are today.


Thank you!


Two Goals


Goal I : to understand through the design thinking process the needs for the library, frame a vision, translate findings into designs, produce costings, assess viability and create an implementation plan. Done at minimum cost and feeding into Goal II.

Time frame: 2018. Status: ACHIEVED Jul '18

Goal II : to build a re-imagined library service indoors and outdoors based on the learnings from Goal I. Implementation will include construction work.

Time frame: Fall '18 to 2019. Status: STARTED Sep '18.



The Journey
















Implementation Phase I: a library for all (50 to 200 sqm)


Space Transformation

Photograph: reception area, April 2018. Project starting point.
Photograph: library new front entrance, September 2018
Photograph: inside the KS2 library, 50 sqm, January 2018. Project starting point.
Visualisation: library new foundation space, 200 sqm, October 2018. The library will now evolve in this bigger space made of four independent or integrable indoor and outdoor areas.