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People-Centred Research
Empowering Youth through Design: San José, Costa Rica
In partnership with the UN and the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID), we co-designed new ways to engage young people at Parque La Libertad. This project focused on listening to local youth to ensure their voices shape the community spaces they use every day.
Our Partner
Parque La Libertad
Recognized by the United Nations, Parque La Libertad is one of Costa Rica’s most vibrant community hubs—a space where creativity, culture, and youth empowerment meet.
We partnered with the United Nations and the park community to co-design solutions that deepen youth engagement and build a lasting sense of belonging. By immersing ourselves in the park’s community-led programs—from parkour to the arts—we ensured our research was rooted in the real-world experiences of the people who call this space home.
The Brief
Our Design Challenge
How might we invite young people from all walks of life to see Parque La Libertad not just as a place they visit — but as a space they belong to, shape, and call their own?
This question was the heartbeat of our summer program. It moved our work beyond simple observation, turning every conversation and activity into a shared effort to build a deeper sense of community.
The Proccess
Our Community Research Cycle
Our approach to community research is a continuous cycle of learning, listening, and refining. Rather than following a straight line, we moved through an iterative process to ensure every insight was validated by the people it affects most. This map illustrates the core phases that guided us from initial curiosity to meaningful, real-world outcomes.
The tools
Our Research Toolkit
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Immersive Site Visits & Stakeholder Conversations
We began by experiencing Parque La Libertad firsthand. By speaking with the people who manage and breathe life into the park, we gained a deep understanding of its vision, its vibrant programs, and the challenges it faces from the inside out.
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Guerrilla Interviews: Real Stories from Local Youth
To capture the heartbeat of the park, we spent time on the ground speaking directly with young people—from those already leading programs to those just passing through. These informal, "guerrilla-style" conversations allowed us to gather raw, honest perspectives that traditional surveys often miss.
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Co-Design: Service Mapping with the Community
We invited youth to take the lead in a hands-on mapping activity. By visualizing their own journeys through the park, they showed us exactly how they navigate, experience, and connect with the services offered, turning their lived experience into our most valuable data.
Evidence: Voices of the Community
Listening with Purpose
Listening was the heartbeat of our research. Through deep, intentional conversations with the youth at Parque La Libertad, we moved beyond surface-level data to uncover the motivations, barriers, and dreams that define their relationship with the park.
The "Switch" Moment: From Hobby to Belonging
We discovered that a young person’s entry into the park is rarely about the location itself—it’s triggered by a personal passion. The park becomes the stage for their growth
Play as the Hook, Freedom as the Anchor
While a passion for play draws them in, the sense of freedom and a community of like-minded peers is what makes them stay. The park evolves from a practice ground into a sanctuary.
"Parkour means freedom to me."
Evidence: Aspirations & Growth
Connecting Today to Tomorrow
These voices reveal that Parque La Libertad is more than a recreational site—it is a vital ecosystem for personal and social transformation. By centering our research on these lived experiences, we’ve identified how to turn individual aspirations into a collective blueprint for community resilience.
Present Meets Future
Parque La Libertad is more than a physical space; it’s a bridge between a young person’s current passion and their future potential. By practicing their skills today, they are building the confidence to lead tomorrow.
"It is my dream to build a parkour gym and I know I will be able to achieve it."
Choosing a Better Path
We heard a clear desire for self-improvement and a healthy environment. The youth are making conscious, brave choices to step away from negative influences and seek out spaces that lift them up.
"I don't want to hang out with bad influencers. They put me low."
Research Outcomes
From Insights to Action
Our fieldwork was an immersive journey into the heart of the community. By listening, observing, and participating alongside the youth, we uncovered the deeper truths that define their lives and their connection to the park.
3 Key Insights
Rooted in Lived Experience These aren't just data points—they are the core truths of the youth experience. Every insight is built directly from real-world conversations and shared moments with community members.
3 Opportunity Areas
Design for Impact We’ve translated what we heard into clear directions for the future. These opportunity areas serve as a strategic roadmap for co-designing services that truly resonate with young people.
People First
A Human-Centered Foundation Our methodology ensures that every finding is anchored in the daily lives of the youth. We prioritize their voices to ensure that future developments are inclusive, accessible, and community-led.
Insight 01: From Willingness to Action
The Desire to Lead is Already There
Young people at Parque La Libertad possess an innate drive to contribute and give back. These emerging leaders are ready to serve their community; they simply need a clear, accessible bridge to transform their passion into tangible action.
"I became a helper. Sometimes I come here just to help."
"If I had known, I would already be in there helping."
Insight 02: Pride Seeking a Platform
Hidden Achievements, Untapped Inspiration
These young creators feel a profound, hard-won pride in their projects. However, without a dedicated space to showcase their work, their most powerful achievements remain invisible. By providing a "stage," we can turn individual success into a source of inspiration for the entire community.
Insight 03: A Model for Sustainable Collaboration
Building a Partnership Ecosystem
To truly bridge the gap between the park’s vision and the youth’s reality, we must move toward a collaborative model of support. By inviting local partners and stakeholders to co-deliver and support programming, we transform the park from a service provider into a vibrant ecosystem of shared responsibility.

Navigating New Avenues for Growth
Sustaining this vision requires creative thinking around resources. By aligning the park’s community-led successes with the goals of external partners, we can navigate new avenues for funding—ensuring that youth-led initiatives have the long-term financial support they need to thrive and scale.

The Goal: Impact Through Integration
When the park’s programs are supported by a diverse network of partners and sustainable funding, the "aspirational identity" becomes a lived, everyday reality for every young person.
Opportunity Area 01: From Visitors to Visionaries
Cultivating a Culture of Ownership
How might we inspire young people to see Parque La Libertad not just as a destination, but as a space they belong to, shape, and lead?
True ownership isn’t granted by a sign on a wall—it is earned through active participation, a respected voice, and mutual trust. When youth transition from "users" of a space to "co-creators" of its future, the park transforms. It ceases to be a place they simply visit and becomes a community they actively build and protect.
The Strategic Path
Opportunity Area 02: Visibility as a Catalyst for Growth
Making Impact Impossible to Ignore
How might we empower the youth already inside the park to become its most powerful ambassadors—turning their personal growth into a story that inspires the entire community?
When neighboring communities witness the tangible achievements of their youth, the perception of the park shifts from a "facility" to a "powerhouse of potential." This visibility doesn't just create a sense of pride—it builds the trust and social proof needed to unlock broader support, stronger partnerships, and new avenues of funding.
The Strategic Path
Opportunity Area 03: Strengthening the Community Ecosystem
Building a Bridge to Local Leadership
How might we connect the grassroots energy of local community organizations with the resources of Parque La Libertad?
In the neighborhoods surrounding the park, local organizations are already doing the vital work of activating youth. By building a formal bridge between these groups and the park, we transform isolated efforts into a powerful, unified network.
This "Networked Approach" is about more than sharing space—it’s about Sustainability. By aligning our efforts, we create a higher Networked Impact that unlocks new avenues for funding and proves to donors that a collaborative park is a more resilient and efficient investment for the entire city.
The Strategic Path:
A Networked Park creates a much higher return on investment — for youth, for communities, and for the city of San José.
Research Recommendations
A Strategy for Impact
Our recommendations are built as three interconnected directions—each one designed to amplify the voices of the youth and ensure the park’s long-term success.
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Empowering Space Through Ownership
The Goal: Transform the park from a place youth use into a place they lead.
The Strategy: Develop a Peer Leadership Program that bridges the gap between recreation and employment. By offering formal roles for youth to maintain, manage, and facilitate park activities, we turn their existing passions into professional skills and career pathways.
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Amplifying Youth Achievement
The Goal: Make the invisible visible, turning personal growth into community pride.
The Strategy: High-Visibility Platforms—including physical exhibitions, seasonal showcases, and digital storytelling campaigns. When the surrounding neighborhoods see the tangible talents of their youth, it builds the social proof needed to attract new partners and donors.
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Bridge Organizations to the Park
The Goal: Create a unified ecosystem of support for sustainable community growth.
The Strategy: Establish a Collaborative Programming Model. By inviting local community organizations to co-deliver services within the park, we pool our resources and expertise. This "Networked Approach" makes the park a central hub for funding and specialized youth support in San José.
Outcomes:: From Youth Stories to Community Action.
The Narrative of Impact
The voices of the youth at Parque La Libertad reveal a powerful story of passion, belonging, and future aspiration. By listening deeply, we have uncovered the core patterns that define their journey and shape the park’s potential for collective growth.
Passion
Entry into the park is sparked by a hobby, a discipline, or a deep personal interest. Passion is the ignition.
Belonging
Youth stay because of the people, the freedom, and the feeling that this space accepts them as they are.
Aspiration
The park connects present passions to future possibilities — turning play into purpose and dreams into direction.
A-há! Moments
Reflections on our Practice
Beyond the data, the research process itself offered unexpected lessons. These moments reshaped how we approach people-centred design—reminding us that the way we listen is just as important as what we hear.
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01 — Detach to See Clearly
Research isn't about proving what we already know; it's about finding the inspiration that only comes when we let go of our own biases. By intentionally detaching from our initial assumptions, we created the space to truly listen. This practice of "unlearning" allowed the community's authentic voice to lead the way.
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02 — The "Parking Lot" is a Researcher’s Best Friend 💛
In the heat of creative fieldwork, brilliant but "stray" ideas can often distract from the core mission. We used a "Parking Lot"—a dedicated space to capture these thoughts for later. This simple tool kept our team focused on the immediate task without losing the creative sparks that eventually fueled our long-term recommendations.
The Turning Point: Power in Participation
A New Way of Seeing
Participatory research didn't just provide data; it opened our eyes. By engaging with youth through their own drawings, games, and creative language, we moved past the limitations of traditional observation. These moments of shared play were the catalysts for our most powerful breakthroughs, allowing us to see the park through the eyes of those who truly own its future.

By asking "Why?" through creative action, we did more than uncover motivations; we built a foundation of trust and sparked a level of honesty that transformed our research into deep, human understanding.
Supervised by CIID | Supporting the UN SDGs
This project was developed under the professional guidance of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID). Our methodology and outcomes are designed to directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—ensuring that local community insights drive global progress toward a more equitable and sustainable future.
Primary SDG Focus Areas:
  • Goal 4: Quality Education – Supporting lifelong learning through creative community programming.
  • Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – Empowering youth from all walks of life to shape the spaces they inhabit.
  • Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities – Co-designing inclusive, safe, and resilient public spaces.
Bruno Bini | User Experience Designer
Let’s Create Together
Thank you for exploring our journey at Parque La Libertad. I am deeply passionate about people-centred research and the power of co-design to transform communities. I would love to discuss how these insights—and my experience in peer leadership—can support your initiatives.
Are you ready to explore new avenues for engagement or discuss a potential collaboration? I’m always eager to connect with like-minded visionaries.