Why Problem Owners Must Be the Designers
This article demonstrates that effective and ethical social solutions are not built “for” the target audience but “with” them, transforming the problem-owner from a mere recipient into an essential partner in the design process.
Introduction: An Innovation Philosophy That Ignores Humans
In the world of entrepreneurship—especially social entrepreneurship—we often fall into the trap of “solitary intelligence.” We believe that simply by possessing technology and good intentions, we can craft solutions for problems we have never personally lived. However, the truth is that any project aiming for real impact must stem from a simple ethical foundation: The individual is the primary expert in their own struggle.
Designing solutions in isolation from those who face the problem is not just a technical error; it is a failure to understand the core of innovation. A problem is not just “data” to be collected; it is a “life” whose owners must participate in shaping the path toward change.
Would You Choose a Shirt for a Friend Without Knowing Their Size?
Imagine you decided to gift a friend a luxury shirt. You picked the most beautiful color and the finest fabric, but you didn’t bother to ask about their size or personal taste. Most likely, that shirt will end up stuck in a closet because it simply “doesn’t fit.” Your friend might feel that you didn’t truly care about what they needed, but rather about what you personally deemed appropriate.
This simple analogy mirrors what happens in social projects managed from behind desks. Attempting to “impose” a solution on a specific group without listening to them is an ethical bypass; it ignores human dignity and their inherent right to be partners in creating the tools that will change their lives.
The “Martha EDU” Experience: When the Field Corrected Our Path
In our journey with “Martha EDU,” we started with “good intentions” and many assumptions. We could have relied on a professional sign language interpreter in Amman to film lessons, and that would have been that. But we decided to go to the field—and there, our concepts were transformed.
When we sat with Mr. Samir Badania in Salt, we were confronted with an ethical and professional truth we had overlooked: “Let the Deaf record the words they know, and let them correct the signs you don’t know.”
In that moment, we realized we were not the “experts.” The real expert is the child in Deir Alla and the mother in Salt; they are the ones who hold the “real size” of the solution. Without them, our project would remain a “beautiful garment” that fits no one’s actual needs.
Why Should “People of Determination” be the Designers?
Involving the owners of the problem (the Deaf) in designing a project like Martha is not a “favor”; it is a necessity to ensure:
- Accuracy of Identity and Language: Sign language is a culture before it is a communication tool. Involving the Deaf community ensures that the solution speaks their “real accent” and respects their privacy, rather than providing a dry “mechanical” language that does not belong to their environment.
- Design Rooted in Respect: When a Deaf person participates in designing the solution’s interface (User Journey), we ensure that the programming logic follows the “visual logic” in which they excel. We are not providing “help” here; we are providing tools that enable them to express their innate intelligence.
- Dignity Above All: Building the solution “with them” changes the equation from “charity and pity” to “rights and partnership.” When someone sees their own fingerprints on a solution, they feel pride and ownership, which is the heart of sustainability.
What Have We Learned? (Ethics as a Methodology)
Here are the lessons that changed our mindset:
- Participation is Recognition of Existence: When field experts suggested integrating children into the testing phase, it was an explicit recognition that they are capable of evaluation and development, rather than just being “end-users.”
- Field Information is the Truth: Twenty-eight years of experience spent by Yousef Al-Jadawi with the Deaf in the Jordan Valley confirmed to us that any solution that does not account for the “child’s joy” and “family’s privacy” is fundamentally flawed.
Advice for Entrepreneurs: How to Involve the “Owners of the Problem”?
- Take off the “Expert” Hat: Go to the field ready to learn. Ask people of determination: “What truly represents a real obstacle for you?” instead of asking them: “What do you think of my idea?”
- Participatory Hiring: Include people representing the group you serve in your core team. They should be the “architects” who lay the foundation.
- Test in the Real Environment: Do not test your solution in ideal conditions. Go to where the problem exists, with its harsh circumstances. Only there will you discover the true gaps.
Conclusion: The Solution Starts and Ends With Them
True social innovation starts with “listening” and ends with “empowerment.” At Martha EDU, we do not design “for” the Deaf; we build a future “with” them.
Always remember: Building any solution for a specific community without their involvement is an act lacking in intelligence and justice. The solutions that endure are those built by the hands of their owners, because they know their pains best and are best equipped to lead their hopes.
Have you ever wondered… Do you know the “size” of your audience’s ambition before you begin execution?