Design Thinking for Social Change: Exploring Stakeholder Collaboration in Poverty Alleviation

Design thinking, recognized for its potential in addressing intricate challenges, has been applied to the complex issue of poverty reduction in the city of Saint John, New Brunswick.This paper delves into the innovative application of design thinking by engaging stakeholders and exploring their perspectives within a poverty-reduction framework.The study employs mixed qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including surveys, secondary data analysis, and qualitative coding techniques, to comprehensively investigate the potential of design thinking in poverty alleviation efforts.Through this rigorous examination, the research reveals the efficacy of involving beneficiaries and intermediaries in the design thinking process, culminating in the development of Canada's first food bank platform and demonstrate the potential for design thinking to successfully address complex social issues.