Designing for Upstream Work: Learnings from Co-Design for Preventative Solutions with Urban Fire Departments

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• Demonstrating success to stakeholders represents a distinct and fundamental design challenge for preventative programs that differs from acute-response work.
• Data visualization tools can make preventative program outcomes visible and meaningful across different stakeholder audiences with varying priorities.
• Co-design processes with community organizations reveal specific data practices and communication needs essential for scaling upstream initiatives.

Overview

This research examines design approaches for preventative interventions addressing root causes rather than crisis response, focusing on co-design processes with urban fire departments developing alternate emergency medical services response programs. The work identifies demonstrating success to stakeholders as a central challenge for upstream initiatives and proposes a data dashboard prototype to make preventative program outcomes visible across different audience segments.

Methods and approach

The researchers conducted a multi-phase co-design process with fire departments implementing alternate EMS response programs aimed at reducing 911 call volume. The collaborative design approach engaged stakeholders throughout development, with particular attention to data practices and communication needs within community organizations.

Results

The co-design process generated a data dashboard prototype designed to visualize preventative program outcomes for multiple stakeholder audiences. The dashboard addresses a critical gap identified in upstream work: the difficulty of demonstrating program success to decision-makers and funders who evaluate initiatives against traditional outcome metrics. The prototype incorporates design solutions that emerged from iterative collaboration, reflecting stakeholder requirements for both evidence generation and stakeholder communication specific to prevention-focused interventions.

Implications

The research contributes to literature on supporting data practices in community organizations by articulating how design tools can facilitate stakeholder engagement with preventative work. Organizations implementing upstream initiatives require deliberate design interventions that make program impact visible and comprehensible to diverse audiences, particularly those accustomed to acute-response metrics. This work establishes foundational understanding of design practices supporting the scaling and institutionalization of preventative programs within established emergency services structures.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.