NEA HBCU Asset Map Co-Design
Turning mixed-methods case study data into a reusable asset map through facilitated co-design and iteration
What you’ll see
How I led three in-depth HBCU case studies using web scans, focus groups, synthesis, and writing
How I synthesized inputs across methods into a clear, user-facing asset map that made each institution’s ecosystem visible
The “asset map” requirement and why the initial format needed redesign to be meaningful and usable
A facilitated client design critique and decision workshop to evaluate options and align on success criteria
Iteration cycles from feedback to redesign to refinement, then applying a reusable template across all three institutions
Published asset maps embedded in a national report as stakeholder-facing visuals that are comparable across sites, not a one-off deliverable
Client: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Timeline: March–May 2024
My title: Project Manager and Senior Researcher
My role: Case study lead + facilitation lead (asset map redesign + iteration)
Users / audiences: NEA stakeholders and partner audiences using the report; participating institutions and community participants; internal research team
Methods: Document analysis; structured web scan; virtual focus groups; synthesis; facilitated co-design workshop; iterative design refinement
Sample / scope: 3 in-depth HBCU case studies (each with focus groups + web scan + document review)
Deliverables: 3 written case studies + 3 finalized asset maps + standardized asset map template embedded in final report
Outcomes (high level): Delivered published case studies and a co-designed, reusable asset map format that made institutional ecosystems visible and comparable across sites.
The problem
As part of a broader NEA study on arts at HBCUs and workforce preparation, the client needed three rich case studies and an “asset map” deliverable for each institution. The challenge was that the initial asset map concept needed refinement to become genuinely meaningful and usable for the NEA’s goals: clear enough to compare across institutions, but detailed enough to capture each campus’s ecosystem.
What we needed to learn
What assets and enabling conditions mattered most in how each institution leveraged the arts for workforce preparation?
What format would make the asset map both usable (easy to interpret and compare) and faithful to context (captures what is unique about each institution)?
What common structure would allow consistency across all three maps while still supporting customization?
What I owned
Led planning and execution of three in-depth case studies, including synthesis and writing as lead author
Supervised junior researchers conducting focus groups and structured web-based data collection
Designed multiple asset map format options for the client to review
Facilitated an in-person client working session to evaluate options and align on success criteria
Led iterative redesign based on client feedback and ensured the final template could be applied consistently across institutions
Managed refinement cycles through to publication-quality deliverables
Research approach
We used a multi-method case study design to capture both the institutional context and the ecosystem of arts-related assets:
Document analysis to ground each case in official materials and program context
Structured web scan to identify partnerships, programs, pathways, and public-facing assets
Virtual focus groups with institutional and community representatives to capture lived experience and nuance
Synthesis across sources to identify patterns, enabling conditions, and key assets for workforce preparation
In parallel, we treated the asset map as a design artifact: we iterated format and content structure through client feedback to optimize clarity and usability.
What we built
Three written case studies embedded in the final report
A standardized asset map template that could be applied consistently across sites
Three finalized asset maps (same structure, customized content per institution) designed to make each ecosystem visible at a glance
Impact
Produced published deliverables that translated mixed-methods inputs into clear, comparable “maps” of assets and opportunities across institutions
Enabled the NEA to communicate patterns and recommendations grounded in participant input and cross-source evidence
Delivered a reusable template that reduced ambiguity and improved consistency across institutional mapping, not just a one-off visualization
What I learned
This project reminded me that strong deliverables come from both good synthesis and a good process. The co-design session with the client was the turning point. Putting options on the table, agreeing on what “usable” meant, and making tradeoffs together is what transformed the asset map from a requirement into a tool the client could actually use. It also reinforced how important it is to keep a distributed team aligned when multiple researchers are leading different site work. Clear standards for data capture and consistent synthesis practices are what make cross-site products comparable. Finally, it underscored the importance of participant trust. When people understand why they are being asked to participate and how their input will be used, the data is stronger and the partnership is better.
Asset maps and report excerpts are published by the National Endowment for the Arts. Included here for portfolio purposes; no endorsement is implied.
