When communities face challenges, too often  “the experts” gather together to  fix the problem. However, often the solution is created without participation or buy-in from the people in the community who know their challenges best. This can result in ineffective programs, community pushback, and the waste of millions of dollars. 

At ATOMA, our approach is different. We bring together  “lived experts” – those who live the problem and best understand it – along with human-centered designers and subject matter experts. Together, they become the design team.

The team develops a deep understanding of the challenge, shares power differently, builds trust, and participates in a non-hierarchical, collaborative process to design effective solutions tailored to specific needs and desires of the target community. 

This is  the work of community co-design. This is the work of ATOMA.

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