Welcoming New Arrivals to Chicago

In spring 2024, I led a team of researchers at the Institute of Design who sought to frame the migrant “crisis” in Chicago through a design-led systems perspective. The project’s goal is to develop effective systems frameworks to help decision-makers and on-the-ground workers meet the needs of new arrivals while also addressing the overall well-being of everyone in our community.

This was at a moment of unprecedented migration, most of whom were fleeing Venezuela and other countries in Central America. The city of Chicago was overwhelmed, and it couldn’t meet the needs of these new arrivals. At the same time, current residents were frustrated by the resources directed towards this support.

In our project, we interviewed and held a workshop with multiple stakeholders, including frontline workers in social support organizations, city politicians, and volunteers, piecing together support efforts. Our goal was to gain a holistic understanding of the situation by:

• Identifying disconnections and “stuck points” within the system

• Centering the experiences of those who are exploited

• Sensemaking around bias and systemic inequities

We created a journey map of the new arrivals journey that specifically highlighted the gaps in the system, where the formal immigration processes weren’t meeting the needs of people. Then, they fell through the “cracks” in the system, leaving the informal networks to try to provide that support. It really highlighted the ways in which these siloed efforts were and weren’t connecting.

In complex challenges like this, design methods can help people gain a holistic understanding of a problem. Then, hopefully, we can help facilitate some alignment, collaboration, and strategic action.