top of page

Equestrian Studies at SCAD

Sustainable Solutions

SERVICE DESIGN   I   SYSTEMS THINKING

03

2 months

As environmental impact and sustainable practices continue to grow in importance on a global scale, the equestrian industry is under increasing pressure to adapt and align itself with these evolving expectations. In response a team initiated project aimed at improving sustainability within their university's equestrian facility and studies program. Identifying a lack of awareness as a repeating root cause our research and design solution involved integrating sustainability into Equestrian Studies Program.

Service Designer & UX Researcher

savannah-equestrian-studies-2017-spring-hs-09-jj.jpg

Stakeholder Map

Stakeholder Equestrian

After identifying the stakeholders within the system, we mapped them by involvement and impact. The key stakeholders to manage closely were the Barn managers, the director, the professors, office manager and staff Vet.

graph chart

Ecosystem Map

ecosystem map service design

We started with mapping the ecosystem of the Equestrian Facility. Identifying the many stakeholders and looking at the complex interactions between the different actors.

Sustainability

Why should we care about

Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.

An IBM survey found that 40% of consumers find environmental impact factors to be of greater importance that cost, comfort and convenience.

Infographic

Interview Insights

01

Interviewee 3

  • SCAD equestrian center is not profitable at the moment.

  • There is an accessibility issue in the layout of the center. For example- Barn is is not located near the barn manager's office etc.

  • There is a pest problem that needs to be addressed.

  • The center is located in an area with wetlands and requires flood-proofing measures.

Interviewee 2 Anna

02

Inetrviewees

03

  • To educate the equine industry about best practices for sustainability and ecological safety, it is important to encourage everyone to change their daily habits.

  • Making simple changes such as using reusable water bottles, separating shavings for recycling, and encouraging students' participation in sustainability initiatives.

  • It's important to start with small steps and build from there. Gathering attention on small initiatives can create momentum for larger changes.

Problem Areas

Facilities and Infrastructure

Physical design and management of equestrian center's facilities and infrastructure

problem areas

Layout:

The mismatch in the design and layout of the outdoor arena and barns at the equestrian center, which can impact the facility's flow and functionality.

problem areas 2

Entrance:

The entrance gate at the equestrian center, where it is on the wrong side for traffic flow, Possible lead to congestion and inefficiency.

problem areas new section

Stall bedding and mats:

This problem refers to the use of poor-quality bedding in the stalls at the equestrian center, which can negatively impact the animal welfare and health of the horses housed there.

Maintenance and Operations

Day-to-day management and maintenance of equestrian center

problem areas description 2

Energy Consumption:

The high energy consumption of lighting, heating, and equipment usage at an equestrian center is leading to increased costs and carbon emissions.

problem areas description 3
problem areas description

Handwritten Planning:

The use of whiteboards for planning operations can lead to errors and delays, which can have a negative impact on the productivity and efficiency of the equestrian center.

Labor/Hiring:

The issue of labor and hiring refers to the challenges faced by equestrian centers in recruiting and retaining qualified staff to perform the necessary tasks and duties.

Environmental Sustainability

Equestrian center's impact on the environment and efforts towards sustainability

problem areas description 4

Pest Control:

The unsustainable and indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides for pest control at an equestrian center is leading to environmental contamination, health risks, and loss of biodiversity.

problem areas description 5
problem areas description 6

Stall Cleaning:

The unsustainable and excessive use of cleaning products during stall cleaning at an equestrian center is leading to waste generation, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions.

Water Conservation:

The water-intensive activities and lack of conservation practices at an equestrian center are leading to depletion of water resources and environmental impact.

problem areas description 7
problem areas description 9
problem areas description 8

Manure Management:

The inadequate and unsustainable management of manure at an equestrian center is leading to environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and health hazards.

Equestrian Studies program (Sustainability) :

The lack of sustainability education and practices in an equestrian studies program is perpetuating unsustainable practices in the equine industry and hindering progress towards a more environmentally responsible future.

Arena Footing:

The unsustainable sourcing, maintenance, and disposal of arena footing materials at an equestrian center ais leading to environmental degradation and waste accumulation.

Root Cause Analysis

Based on the problems we identified and a detailed root cause analysis, we realised there is a LACK OF AWARENESS about sustainability in the field of Equestrian centers.

root cause analysis 1
root cause analysis 3
root cause analysis 2

Ideation Opportunities

opportunities 1
opportunities 3
opportunities 2
opportunities 4
graph

Solution

Sustainability & Equestrian Program

Incorporate sustainability into the equestrian studies program to raise awareness of sustainable issues with the next generation of equestrians.

Refining the Scope

Ecosystem map

We started with mapping the ecosystem of the Equestrian Facility. Findings and insights from the research prompted us to shift the focus on the equestrian studies at SCAD so we reworked the system map to focus on this area.

Focused Stake holders map and Ecosystem

As we shifted focus to the Equestrian studies at SCAD the Stakeholder management plan changed. The department chair, professors and students impact and involvement increased while barn managers' and the director's decreased.

Immersion Interview Insights

  • There is a minor in sustainability. 

  • Redesigning the classes would make it harder to find a professor who knows both fields. The departments could collaborate or it might be more practical to not change the course material.

  • There is a limited amount of professors for the department

  • The classes are very general knowledge and can be applied to any industry

  • Students would benefit from taking the class at the same time as other students in the equestrian department

  • There was not a lot of awareness of the design for sustainability minor
     

interview info
info

Co-creation Workshop & Focus Group

Through the workshop and focus group we found that students did not have a lot of awareness about sustainable issues but were interested after presented with information.

​

The classes and learnings they were interested in were classes that had sustainability directly tied to the industry

photos
ethnography workshop
photos ethnography
cocreation workshop image

We believe that if we provide more information on sustainable issues within the equestrian industry, equestrians students' interest in sustainability will increase. Resulting in more equestrian students taking design for sustainability courses and more minoring in Design for Sustainability.

Prototype

To test and see if raising the knowledge of sustainable issues within the industry would increase interest in sustainability.

User Testing

bar chart

Students showed interest in taking at least one sustainability courses as an elective after watching the video

Students knew about the Design for Sustainability Minor

Students expressed interest in minoring in sustainability

Future Service Blueprint

details
bottom of page