By relying on academic research that tells us how the human mind, behavior, and society work, organizations can better understand how to revamp their communication strategy, where their communications will have the most impact, and how to connect with internal and external audiences.

In this two-part 180-minute live e-certification series, you will learn to supercharge your communications strategy with systems thinking and human-centered design. Using interactive online activities, case studies, and illustrative examples, we will help you concentrate your efforts where they can have the greatest effect, by identifying a narrow, specific, and actionable theory of change. With that, you can then chart a path to get the buy-in, support, and resources you will need to bring that idea to life.

Program Overview:

Part 1: Building the world we wish existed
In the first part, we will learn how to use and apply the power of systems thinking and human-centered design to your social change communications strategies. Matt Sheehan, managing director, and Annie Neimand, director of research from the Center for Public Interest Communications, University of Florida, will lead you through a synthesis of principles from systems thinking and human-centered design. During this 90-minute session, the speakers will share a framework for an actionable guide for strategic communicators. You will get hands-on experience identifying and articulating theories of change, root cause analysis, methodologies of human-centered design and ethnographic discovery, systems mapping, ‘how might we’ explorations, and rapid prototyping to supercharge your communication strategy.

Part 2: Building support for your ideas
Innovators and change agents like you must do what hasn’t been done before. Our potential to make change, however, is driven as much by our ability to get others to support our ideas as our ability to identify the right path. Rooted in social science, this session will show you how to craft an effective strategy that will help you build support for your ideas. During this session, Ann Searight Christiano, center director, and Annie Neimand, director of research from the Center for Public Interest Communications, University of Florida, will share a science-based framework rooted in behavioral, cognitive, and social science that will help practitioners build support for their ideas among critical stakeholders.

Program Features:

  Designed by Experts: This SSIR Live! two-part webinar-workshop on communication strategies, systems thinking, and human centered design is developed, facilitated, and presented by experts from the Center of Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida. The center’s director, Ann Searight Christiano, completed a 10-year term as the inaugural Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications in May 2020, which she undertook after serving as the senior communications officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Managing director Matt Sheehan is a senior lecturer of journalism at the University of Florida, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the science of story, audience engagement, leadership, media product development and integration of emerging technologies in journalistic practices. Research director Annie Neimand works with organizations, including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Innovation Service, The United States Department of State, and public interest communications agencies in the United States, to apply behavioral, cognitive and social science to their work.

  Highly Interactive: This LIVE program will be conducted as an interactive session. You will explore the key concepts through activities, illustrative examples, and case studies. Come ready to think and actively participate!

  Extensive Learning:

This program is created by the Center of Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida. The Center’s director, Ann Searight Christiano, along with Managing Director Matt Sheehan and Research Director Annie Neimand, will lead the workshops.  The program is 180-minutes long, divided into two 90-minute sessions:
Part 1: Building the world we wish existed
Part 2: Building support for your ideas

Real-world Case Studies: : Explore effective case studies specific to the landscape and challenges of the social sector.

Who Should Join? We believe everyone is a communicator, even if it isn't in your title. If you're ready to build effective communications rooted in what academic research tells us works, then this session is for you.

Participation e-Certificate: Demonstrate your commitment to building your skills. Your participation entitles you to receive a downloadable e-certificate from Stanford Social Innovation Review and Center for Public Interest Communications, University of Florida, after attending this SSIR Live! two-part webinar-workshop. You are eligible to receive the participation e-certificate once you have successfully participated in both Part 1 & 2 of this program.

Closed Captioning Available: Live transcription is available for this program. To activate Closed Captioning during the LIVE broadcast, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Subtitling option. To disable Closed Captioning, click on the upward arrow next to the CC icon and select the Hide Subtitling option.

On-Demand Version: Register and access the recording of the live event on-demand 24 hours after the webinar ends and anytime over the next 12 months.

Price for this extended two-part webinar-workshop: $169. This price includes access to the live interactive webinar, unlimited access to the recorded webinar video, and downloadable slides for twelve months, in addition to a downloadable participation e-certificate.

Webinar Refund Policy

Recordings of all webinars and any associated presentation materials are accessible asynchronously after the live program for 12-months from the date of the program. As a standard policy, SSIR does not offer refunds on webinar registrations. Any requests for refunds should be submitted in writing to [email protected] and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Should a refund be warranted, it will be processed after the webinar.

If you have any questions about this program, write to us at [email protected].