Designing Across Borders: Mortenson Center Associates Explore Human-Centered Design at SCD

In a vibrant display of international collaboration and forward-thinking design, the Siebel Center for Design (SCD) and the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (CITL) co-hosted a dynamic workshop for the 2025 Mortenson Center Associates. Held at SCD’s Sunset Studio, the full-day event invited 16 library and information science professionals from around the world to explore how human-centered design can transform library services, spaces, and experiences.

The event was part of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs’ flagship professional development initiative, the Mortenson Center Associates Program. This annual leadership program brings together global librarians to explore critical issues in library innovation, from open scholarship to inclusive collections. This year’s Associates represent 14 countries across five continents, reflecting a wide range of institutional contexts and cultural perspectives. Meet the 2025 Associates →

The day opened with a welcome activity and guided tour of SCD, led by Nicholas Puddicombe, Sr. Associate Director of Operations & Experience. The tour offered participants a hands-on look at the Center’s collaborative environments, including media studios and makerspaces that support creative problem solving across disciplines.

Following the tour, Dawn Bohn, SCD’s Faculty and Academic Engagement Director, led a session introducing human-centered design (HCD) as a practical and empathetic framework for innovation. Participants examined how HCD can be used to understand user needs, reimagine services, and prototype meaningful solutions—tools especially relevant to library professionals designing for evolving communities.
Next, participants were introduced to a design challenge presented by Robert Baird, Sr. Associate Director at CITL, and Ava Wolf, Assistant Director for Teaching & Learning Spaces at CITL. Although details of the challenge were tailored to the session, it encouraged participants to apply newly learned HCD mindsets to real-world problems related to space design and user services in their home libraries.

In the afternoon, the group returned for collaborative activities and iterative design work. Supported by the CITL team, Associates practiced prototyping solutions, sharing ideas, and reflecting on how the design thinking approach could enhance their professional contexts.

As a campus hub dedicated to pedagogical innovation and instructional support, CITL plays a critical role in shaping teaching and learning experiences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Through hands-on consultation, research-based tools, and accessible learning technologies, CITL helps faculty and staff improve outcomes across in-person and online environments.

The event underscored the synergy between SCD and CITL in promoting inclusive, experience-driven approaches to education and public service. As the Mortenson Associates return to their home institutions, they carry forward not just new ideas—but also a new lens for approaching their work. Whether redesigning a library space or launching a community outreach program, they are equipped with human-centered strategies to put people at the heart of their innovation efforts.