Crowdsourcing Human Rights Research with Amnesty’s Decoder Project, Online Discussion Notes

FabRiders’ Network-Centric Resources project helps resource developers understand how to develop people-powered and participatory resources and establish assets for networks and communities that share ownership, enable contribution and support collaboration. In this online discussion, Amnesty International’s Milena Marin shared wisdom and lessons learned about enabling thousands of digital volunteers to […]

Network-Centric Resources LifeCycles Draft

In the last half of 2017, we ran several workshops in places like MozFest and Aspiration’s NPDev Summit to get better insights into the steps needed to develop Network-Centric Resources. Initially, we discussed it regarding ‘workflows’ but realised we needed a better metaphor to get people to understand the complexities […]

What We’ve Learned by Prototyping Workshops

The discipline of iteration and testing have been the most important processes to our work at FabRiders. A final product is never produced, whether it’s a how-to guide or a project plan, without distributing lots of drafts and incorporating lots of feedback. All our work is a prototype, as even […]

What we’ve learned about creating podcasts

For the last couple of months, FabRiders has been working with School of Data on the creation of a podcast series called ‘Data is a Team Sport’ and thought it would be worth sharing what we’ve learned. Why a podcast? The word podcast combines ‘iPod’ with ‘Broadcast’. Podcasts were initially […]

QAF’s and Resources to Mitigate Risks in Academic Research

On June 12th and June 13th, FabRiders collaborated with two doctoral researchers, Lydia Medland and Maria-Teresa Pinto, to design and deliver a workshop at the University of Bristol aimed at helping doctoral researchers strengthen their fieldwork practices and protect themselves and their research participants. To develop this participatory workshop, we […]

Tips for designing an effective workshop session

Our journey learning about effective workshop session design began in the mid-90’s, when we were helping activists and community organisers in the United States understand how to harnass the potential of the Internet. What we’ve learned about session design has largely been achieved through a combination of trial and error (evaluating […]

A Data Strategy Workshop Curriculum

This is a day-long training that we’ve run in at least a dozen countries for a variety of individuals involved in social change at various levels of ‘data literacy.’  Big thanks to all the participants that have provided feedback, along with: School of Data for all their curriculum on data literacy, […]

A training of trainers module on adult learning and ADIDS

As someone who has spent a good part of the last two decades developing trainings and workshop sessions and subsequently learning from those experiences, I’m often asked to help other trainers develop curriculum on a variety of topics. This module has been evolving over the years as a result of contributing […]

Redesigning for the Responsible Data Community, Online Discussion Notes

FabRiders’ Network-Centric Resources project helps resource developers understand how to develop people-powered and participatory resources and establish assets for networks and communities that share ownership, enable contribution and support collaboration. What’s critical to grow a community around a resource is to understand the barriers to broader participation. To help exemplify […]

Designing EFF’s Security Education Companion, Online Discussion Notes

FabRiders’ Network-Centric Resources project helps resource developers understand how to develop people-powered and participatory resources and establish assets for networks and communities that share ownership, enable contribution and support collaboration.  A ‘build it and they will come’ approach is likely to end up with unused and unloved content. Being deliberate […]

Network-Centric Resources: August Update

We spent most of July working in California and wanted to give a quick report back on what I learned during the trip. It gave me an opportunity to get some insights from people that are focusing on developing network-centric resources in a couple of different contexts.  A quick summary: […]

Workshop: Designing Supporter-Centric Social Change Campaigns

Build people-powered and participatory campaigns using design methodologies During this workshop, which will take place July 18th at the San Francisco Nonprofit Tech Centre, we will examine how to design stronger campaigns that get supporters involved early and engaged in longer-term social change efforts. We will sharpen tactics through a stakeholder mapping […]

Skillshare: Human Centered Design and Resource Development

In this skillshare we will be explore how Human Centred Design methodologies can be employed to share ownership and enable people-powered and participatory resources.  Specifically we will share learnings on: Conducting interviews to develop user profiles and personas that will inform content. Involving your audience/users in prototyping, testing and iteration […]

Hangout: Data Tactics for a Post-Fact World

We had a hangout on Data Tactics for a Post-Fact World We’re collaborating with Lucy Chambers from Tech to Human on a new workshop that will help you be assured evidence used in your social change campaign engages rather than alienates. We had a hangout on Tuesday, May 2nd at Noon […]

Hangout: Human Centred Design for Social Change

We’re collaborating with Patrick Olszowski of Outrageous Impact on a workshop on Human Centred Design for Social Change and we had a hangout at Noon on Thursday, the 20th of April. During the hangout we talked about: What is Human Centred Design and why should you care. The importance of prototyping and iteration […]

Why We’re Excited About The Internet Freedom Festival

From March 6th to 10th, over 1400 individuals will converge in Valencia, Spain for what is being billed as the ‘Global Unconference of the Internet Freedom Communities.’ In our humble opinion, we think calling a participatory event at this scale an ‘unconference’ is a huge disservice as the format is […]

Workshop: Hacking human centred design for social change

THIS WORKSHOP TOOK PLACE ON Thursday, May 4th, Check out our next workshop, Data Tactics for a Post-Fact World, or sign up for FabUpdates to get more information on upcoming workshops. Build stronger campaigns using design methodologies Learn how to design stronger campaigns that make a bigger impact sooner. You […]

Effective Data Tactics in a Post-Fact World

Assuring the evidence used in your social change campaign engages rather than alienates. This training is for activists and advocates who want to integrate data into their campaign or improve the ability of their campaign data to engage their stakeholders. Overview Campaigns will only win when we capture the hearts […]

Building a Better 2017

2016 wasn’t all bad. Here at FabRiders, 2016 was a great year of learning. Every event and project that goes by we find ourselves building and sharing on a body of knowledge that is contributed to and enabled by a fantastic set of partners and allies. Despite all the setbacks faced last year, we are […]

What we learned at NPDev 2016

This was our fifth year attending Aspiration’s NonProfit Developer Summit (NPDev) and it remains the most important event in the FabRiders’ calendar. There are so many reasons why we love this event: the radical techie community that surrounds it, the way Aspiration lays down a foundation to support meaningful knowledge […]

Why We’re Excited About The Open Exchange for Social Change

This upcoming event, which is one of many being held in Madrid prior to the International Open Data Conference, is an opportunity for those of us involved in the open data movement to come together to focus on the change and impact we are trying to create. FabRiders is honoured […]

LevelUp Webinar Notes: Preparing Your Digital Security Training

During this webinar which took place on April 28th, 2016, and was cohosted by Dirk Slater, FabRiders and Nic Sera-Leyva, Internews, we discussed: Step Zero, what to consider before you even start planning a digital security training Setting Expectations, both with participants but also with organisers. Learn About Your Participants […]

LevelUp Webinar: Preparing for Your DigiSec Training

In this webinar for LevelUp, we will look at ways of preparing your training to help best ensure its quality, success, and safety. It will feature guest speakers who will share practical advice for learning about trainees and preparing trainings, including creative approaches for learning about participants’ needs, experience, and priorities […]

Tech Project Specifications and Social Change Efforts

This article will help people working on social change efforts understand what they need to know before undertaking a technology project and how to communicate that to internal technology related staff or a potential external developer/consultant hire. This document was created with the input of several colleagues, including Tin Geber, […]

What are we building: communities or networks?

Here at FabRiders, we benefit greatly from our ability to share expertise with a network of technology capacity builders through which we have developed solidarity and close friendships. Recently, LevelUp asked us to help them think about how to improve engagement with the people who are interacting with their resource […]

Data Literacy Research Findings

Introduction In 2015, FabRiders helped School of Data undertake its first research project to understand data literacy efforts around the world.  We published a series of blog posts on the School of Data website to share our findings. This is a repost of the Introduction, the links below will take you […]

LevelUp Webinar Notes: Evaluating DigiSec Trainings for Effectiveness

During this webinar taking place on February 23rd, We: Looked at the key challenges we face in evaluating digital security trainings Explored how we measure our effectiveness according to what our beneficiaries are trying to achieve Heard from our guest speakers: Natasha and Tawanda from Digital Society of Zimbabwe, and Erin from […]

Privacy, new technologies and turning the tables on the state

In this talk I gave at TEDXEastEnd Salon on December 10th, 2015, I explore how my understanding of anonymity and privacy was formed during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980’s and how since that time our sense of privacy has been manipulated by our use of new technologies. I also look at how […]