CASE STUDY
CAREER COLLEGE COLLABORATIVE
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN & PROBLEM SOLVING
The Challenge
Career and college counselors across Oregon faced a significant problem: they lacked cohesive, consistent information about the 16 career clusters designated by the Career and Technical Institute. Career pathway information was fragmented across multiple sources, making it difficult for counselors to guide students effectively. There was a need for accessible, visually clear resources that could spark conversations between counselors, students, and families about career possibilities at different education levels.
The severe test of the pandemic had made heavy demands on the organisational system, which had responded by flexing to meet them. Mary and Griff analysed the stories in the interviews to discover how that flexing had occurred. The client lead requested a visual representation of their findings.
Approach
A comprehensive design brief established the project’s scope and boundaries, setting alignment across stakeholders from the start. An advisory board of five career counselors from across Oregon became essential collaborators, reviewing drafts and providing feedback through monthly meetings over an eight-month period. A key insight emerged from their input: expanding from a single-page to a two-page format allowed for career checklists and deeper exploration resources on the back, maximizing utility. Concurrently, partnerships with a state economist ensured accurate labor market data and wage information, translating complex state employment databases into accessible, usable insights for each career cluster.
The Impact
- 16 comprehensive career journey maps launched across Oregon’s career counseling community
- Two-page format includes example jobs, personality alignment, suggested coursework, wage data by education level, and linked resources
- Spanish translations completed, extending reach to Oregon’s Spanish-speaking students and families
- Maps are used by career counselors as personal learning guides, conversation starters with students, family handouts, and career fair resources
- Available on the C3 website for statewide access
Capabilities & Roles
Capabilities Utilized: Deep Listening, Collaborative Design & Problem Solving, Strategic Clarity & Alignment
Roles Fulfilled: Lead Designer and Project Manager, Collaborative Designer, Researcher, Graphic Designer
Link to C3 Career Journey Maps
