OUR IDENTITY
WHY A 'DESIGN STUDIO'?
Although design is a process of creation, good design has the power to challenge and erode conventions, correct wrongs and dismantle systems. In other words: the power to destroy.
Through our name, we invoke the ethos of design as a process of creation and destruction, because good evaluation - like good design - can challenge and erode conventions, correct wrongs, and dismantle unjust systems.
Eval Design Studio is a hub for creativity and innovation, uniting community members, artist-activists, and evaluators to erode the perils of conventional evaluation in pursuit of a new, emancipatory future.
DESIGNERS
STUDIO TEAM
PRESTON ADRIEN
Founder / Evaluation Consultant
Preston has over a decade of experience in participatory evaluation and research. Supporting organizations like the U.S. Department of State, USAID, Oxfam, UNICEF, and the World Bank, among others. He has evaluated programs promoting access to justice, peacebuilding, media development, economic empowerment, WASH, and leadership development.
He thrives in dynamic and challenging environments, leveraging his background in anthropology to employ systems thinking and holistic approaches.
Recognizing core aspects of MEL (especially data-driven decision-making, accountability, and reflexive practice) as directly transferable to business operations, Preston expanded his scope to working with private sector entities. He enjoys supporting them to establish learning cultures, and improve data communication.
Preston engages in artistic expression through writing, oratory, and performance, particularly bachata and acting.
"Traditional evaluation is an extractive exercise where individuals – often representing the global minority – mine the rich knowledge, histories, and experiences of communities, all in pursuit of answers to questions those communities did not ask."
-Preston Adrien
I found evaluation by mistake. Aged 20, I travelled to Egypt for what was supposed to be a month-long vacation. Less than 7 days in the country, I found my ‘heart home.' So, with around $700 to my name, I canceled my return ticket.
While most people in my life at the time believed in me, a select number of people – for whom I am forever grateful – bet on me. With their support, I earned an internship at a research firm and thus began the decade-long journey that lead to this very moment.
Through the years, I’ve grown, had failures, and learned - a lot. The evaluation field has done the same. However, for as much change, there has been frustrating stagnation.
I envision a future where many of the programs I’ve evaluated do not need to exist. A future without the underlying systems that created the conditions to which these programs respond. A future without extreme poverty, conflict or injustice. In the meantime, however, I aspire toward emancipatory evaluation: where communities lead evaluations, using methods that provide worthwhile data, and at the same time, promote healing. Eval Design Studio is my heart’s answer to this aspiration.
I found evaluation by chance. Aged 20, I travelled to Egypt for what was supposed to be a month-long vacation. Less than 7 days in the country, I found my ‘heart home.' So, with around $700 to my name, I canceled my return ticket.
While most people in my life at the time believed in me, a select number of people – for whom I am forever grateful – bet on me. With their support, I earned an internship at a research firm. Thus began the decade-long journey that lead to this very moment.
Through the years, I’ve grown, had failures, and learned - a lot. The evaluation field has done the same. However, for as much change, there has been frustrating stagnation.
I envision a future where many of the programs I’ve evaluated do not need to exist. A future without the underlying systems that created the conditions to which these programs respond. A future without extreme poverty, conflict or injustice. In the meantime, however, I aspire toward emancipatory evaluation: where communities lead evaluations, using methods that provide worthwhile data, and at the same time, promote healing. Eval Design Studio is my heart’s answer to this aspiration.
OMNIA SHAWKAT
Business Sustainability Consultant
Situated within the tech-culture-media nexus, Omnia has more than 15 years of experience in regional project management, social enterprise development, organizational risk assessment, and management and sustainability.
Omnia was named among the top 9 women tech innovators across Africa and nominated among the top 10 women leading in tech throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
She enjoys designing projects and collaborating with teams to uncover non-traditional growth opportunities, adopt new tools and methods, and institutionalize their learning. She also has over 10 years of experience working with civil society, linking them to businesses, governments, regulators and other organizations to overcome challenges and drive positive social change.
Omnia engages in artistic expression through painting, drawing and dancing, especially with her niece.
"Centering communities from the outset of research and providing them with empowering information to design more relevant interventions has the potential to transform not only the process of evaluation but also their quality, as communities feel valued rather than dispensable."
-Omnia Shawkat
My journey began in environmental project management. However, time in California, immersed in the then-nascent space of digital media, apps, and influencer culture, ignited a passion for leveraging digital platforms to effect positive societal change. Despite skepticism and ridicule, in 2015, I remotely co-founded Andariya, a Sudan-based company specializing in research, content creation, media development, and cultural programs.
Navigating Sudan's restrictive media environment presented challenges. Still, I guided the organization through two critical junctures: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Sudan. These crises led to closures, serious infrastructure losses, work reactivation plans, and an adjustment to a new reality for people who remain trauma-affected, targeted and/or displaced. Nevertheless, Andariya not only survived but thrived, with offices now in Sudan, Uganda and Qatar.
When I was introduced to Eval Design Studio, I was moved by our shared mission for community members to be more than mere "subjects" but actual leaders in evaluation. In addition to supporting this work, I look forward to working with partners to uncover new opportunities to operate and grow more sustainably.
My journey began in environmental project management. However, time in California, immersed in the then-nascent space of digital media, apps, and influencer culture, ignited a passion for leveraging digital platforms to effect positive societal change. Despite skepticism and ridicule, in 2015, I remotely co-founded Andariya, a Sudan-based company specializing in research, content creation, media development, and cultural programs.
Navigating Sudan's restrictive media environment presented challenges. Still, I guided the organization through two critical junctures: the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Sudan. These crises led to closures, serious infrastructure losses, work reactivation plans, and an adjustment to a new reality for people who remain trauma-affected, targeted and/or displaced. Nevertheless, Andariya not only survived but thrived, with offices now in Sudan, Uganda and Qatar.
When Preston introduced me to Eval Design Studio, I was moved by our shared mission for community members to be more than mere "subjects" but actual leaders in evaluation. In addition to supporting this work, I look forward to working with partners to seek out growth opportunities and operate more sustainably.
Kevin Wu, MPH, EMBA
Director of Evaluation and Learning
Kevin is an experienced and savvy evaluator, consultant, and project director with over 15 years of experience delivering results in mixed-methods evaluations, strategic planning, strategy development and implementation, community-based participatory research, stakeholder management, technical assistance, and needs assessments. He partners with public sector, nonprofit, community-based, and academic institutions.
Kevin has a deep commitment to centering equity in supporting social justice initiatives at the individual, community, and system levels. He firmly believes that evaluation processes and practices need to be situated by and within communities. He also invests heavily in client relationships because he believes trust is at the center of every meaningful partnership.
Kevin engages in artistic expression through writing as well as drawing, arts and crafts, and building LEGOs with his young boys.
"Communities understand their own priorities, struggles, and change levers best - not researchers, academics, or politicians. The core principles of evaluation - asking pertinent questions, collecting meaningful data, and learning together from discoveries - should be accessible to all."
-Kevin Wu
My journey towards evaluation began in graduate school. I always had a love for statistics and approaching issues from an analytical perspective. When going through the coursework and research roles for my Master of Public Health degree, something clicked - I found evaluation as the perfect way for me to contribute to improving the health and outcomes of populations and programs.
In my prior roles - directing research projects, evaluating prevention programs, consulting for public sector agencies, and coaching community based organizations - I have been dedicated to making evaluation processes, reporting, and conversations accessible and useful for all stakeholders. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that evaluation practices must continue evolving so that their influence can grow.
I was immediately drawn to EDS’ ambitious vision. Utilizing evaluation as a vehicle for power sharing and artistic expression will engage so many different types of audiences. I look forward to deeply partnering and growing with the communities whom EDS so deeply admires.
VACANT
TARGETED SEARCH UNDERWAY
Full-Stack Developer
We're excited to welcome another talented specialist to our team. Watch this space to learn more.
We are vehemently opposed to the destructive forces of colonialism, and its mutually enforcing counterparts: capitalism and supremacism. Central to this, we reject the traditional employee-employer relationship, instead prioritizing our human rights, dignity, aspirations, and well-being.
Inspired by the brilliant minds at Mission Equality, EDS is a flat organization of individuals with equal decision-making power. The overall health and well-being of the Studio is looked after by its Guardians - individuals who self-select to carry out tasks typically performed by individuals known as 'CEO' or 'President.'
Recognizing that there is much more to life than work, we've created a liberating system where individuals freely navigate in and out of the Studio's orbit as their personal and professional interests demand.
We aspire to be a progressive organization that models a new, successful way of working. As we continuously examine our structure and practice, we'll make any changes necessary to re-align with the evolution of thought that naturally occurs with the passage of time.
We are vehemently opposed to the destructive forces of colonialism, and its mutually enforcing counterparts: capitalism and supremacism. Central to this, we reject the traditional employee-employer relationship, instead prioritizing our human rights, dignity, aspirations, and well-being.
Inspired by the brilliant minds at Mission Equality, EDS is a flat organization of individuals with equal decision-making power. The overall health and well-being of the Studio is looked after by its Guardians - individuals who self-select to carry out tasks typically performed by individuals known as 'CEO' or 'President.'
Recognizing that there is much more to life than work, we've created a liberating system where individuals freely navigate in and out of the Studio's orbit as their personal and professional interests dictate.
We aspire to be a progressive organization that models a new, successful way of working. As we continuously examine our structure and practice, we'll make any changes necessary to re-align with the evolution of thought that so naturally occurs with the passage of time.
THE COLLECTIVE
The Eval Design Collective is a global community of artists-activists (called Creatives) who are matched to projects based on their interests and talents, as well as the unique needs of a given project. Creatives are involved from the moment a contract is signed, supporting us to creatively engage Interested Parties (clients, community members and others) in dynamic and cutting edge evaluations.
Specifically, this involves co-facilitating sessions related to evaluation design, as well as co-facilitating data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Creatives then work with Interested Parties to co-produce artistic re/presentations of evaluation findings, such as a concert or art exhibit. Post-evaluation, Creatives support us in promoting safe spaces for artists and activists.
By the end of 2024, we hope to have:
Creatives
in
Countries
and meaningfully supported
Art Initiatives
The Studio and the Collective use our combined power to clear space for community members to lead evaluation processes, seamlessly weaving the combined knowledge, expertise, and passion of all Interested Parties to transform evaluation.
The Collective welcomes new Creatives on a rolling basis. Membership is selective and determined by a demonstrated commitment to ongoing service to one's community and expanding access to art. If you are a visionary artist-activist, and interested in the innovative application of your craft, you may use the contact form to express interest in joining the Collective.
© Eval Design Studio 2024