Members of the community working their way through one of the exercises in the public workshops.

Members of the community working their way through one of the exercises in the public workshops.

Workshop participants discussing the insights from the in-depth interviews.

Workshop participants discussing the insights from the in-depth interviews.

Participants at one of the community workshops working through a range of visual stimulus to figure out what kind of environment might best support the experience they'd just designed.

Participants at one of the community workshops working through a range of visual stimulus to figure out what kind of environment might best support the experience they'd just designed.

Workshop participants designing the best possible library and/or museum experience, based on the social outcomes they'd identified these civic amenities should deliver for Tauranga.

Workshop participants designing the best possible library and/or museum experience, based on the social outcomes they'd identified these civic amenities should deliver for Tauranga.

Business leaders and local government politicians working through the design of an experience that would support the desired social and economic outocmes.

Business leaders and local government politicians working through the design of an experience that would support the desired social and economic outocmes.

This was a large project to engage with the community in Tauranga to understand their needs for, and desired experience of, a new library and museum for Tauranga. It was part of the wider Heart of The City Programme in Tauranga, aimed at revitalising the city centre. The project took place over a six month period in the first half of 2017.

The work comprised:

  • Review and analysis of all existing reports and information.

  • 45 in-depth interviews with people representing a cross-section of the community, from school children, parents, retirees, community and special interest groups, members of the business and civic community and their representative organisations.

  • A detailed thematic analysis of all interview transcriptions and related analyses;

  • Development of clear insights & insight statements;

  • Development, facilitation and capture of 16 carefully structured public workshops that helped participants: 1. Review and understand feedback from the interviews and other data, 2. Identify and discuss the social and economic outcomes the community sought from the investment in a new museum and library, 3. Work through a range of visual stimulus material presenting case studies around the types of experiences currently available in world-leading progressive museums and libraries, 4 Develop and design the experiences they believed would support the delivery of their chosen outcomes, and 5. Think about the design of the environment that would support the delivery of those experiences including layout, cost-model, and staffing arrangements;

  • Development and testing of a range of experience prototypes for both the library and museum drawing on the outputs from all of the community workhsops, all of which culminated in;

  • A report summarising the community's recommendations for Tauranga Council around both the new library and museum.

The interviews and workshops were well attended by the community, local body politicians, and local MPs–and were incredibly powerful and impactful. They established a robust platform for informed discussion and debate, and the design of desired experiences in both civic amenities.

As at June 2018, development of the new library has been given the green light, whilst the museum has hit a political roadblock. 

You can get a sense of the workshop environment, and press response, by clicking here.