She Had a Breakthrough Realization During the Pandemic. Now She Has a "LOT" of Researching to Do.
Ruth Guerra: Filipino – American Design Researcher; University Lecturer based in Prague
Written and Published for PINOY CARE CZ by:
Kirsty Zachoval
PRAGUE – It was a dull day at work, weeks after the holidays, in what felt like the longest January of my life. Everyone still seemed to be recovering from the sugar overload and the constant eating from the break. To fight the boredom, I decided to check Instagram for the latest interior design trends I could try at home for 2025. The algorithm must have worked its magic because I stumbled upon a content explaining Design Research and Social Innovations. Totally random!
I had zero knowledge of the topic, but one thing caught my attention—the person behind the video. She was explaining design research and the analytics that come with it, and I couldn’t help but wonder, Is she a Filipina?
Not to generalize, but I think you’d agree that sometimes, we just know when someone is Filipino based on intuition, physical appearance, accent, and other subtle clues. So, I did a little digging on her profile, and guess what? She is a proud Filipino – American. Ruth Guerra, now based in Prague and making a name for herself in the incubator scene in the Czech Republic.
I knew right away that she was a gem and someone who truly deserved to be featured. I reached out to her, and she responded with enthusiasm about the collaboration. So, without further ado, let’s get to know Ruth!
Tell us about your childhood and what brought you to Czechia?
My name is Ruth Guerra, and I grew up in Los Baños, Laguna until I was about 8 years old. My family is from the Philippines, but I was born in Australia, spent my early childhood in the Philippines, and grew up in the US. I moved to Prague with my husband to pursue my Master’s degree in Design.
I had studied previously here before as an undergraduate, and I really loved the arts culture of the city. So when I was searching for a program in Europe, Prague was the first place I looked! I’ve since graduated, but we decided to stay in Prague for a while longer.
My childhood was pretty typical as other Filipino Americans. I struggled a lot with trying to fit in with my American friends while still respecting family traditions.
My dad is an engineer, and my mom is a nurse. You can imagine how unsure they must have been about me pursuing a more creative career path, but my parents have always shown support. My mom really instilled in me a sense of independence and the importance of being able to take care of myself, particularly as a young woman.
What Is Design Research?
Design Research can be one of three things: research for, into, and through design.
Research for design is gathering information to make smarter decisions. This can look like conducting interviews and user testing to create better products and services.
Research into design explores the design discipline as a whole and its impacts on society. This might lead to new design methodologies and frameworks.
Research through design is using design to conduct research for a particular topic. This might mean creating a speculative object “from the future” to spark critical discussions about society today.
If you’re curious where I fall as a design researcher, I do a little bit of all of these things. Although, I’m most keen about investigating the discipline of design. Design thinking is perhaps the most popular method teams and organizations use, but I often find it limiting when tackling systemic problems (what we call “wicked” problems). I think we can also design in ways that better center diverse communities and marginalized value systems.
Can you share your journey into design research and Social Innovations what inspired you to pursue this path?
I have to say, it’s very roundabout how I got here. I studied theatre and film in college (I originally wanted to be a filmmaker), and later built a career in marketing, specializing mostly in strategic and creative content. During the pandemic, I started to reflect on my career path and realized I wanted to do more. At the time, everything felt so complex and unpredictable, and I wanted to be more directly involved in solving world problems. Design felt like the right place for me, as I consider myself both a creative and analytical person.
I didn’t know design research could be a possibility until I started attending conferences during my graduate studies. I was running workshops in Europe using an alternative design methodology I had created. It’s called the “Phenomena Method,” and it utilizes storytelling and shared positive values in the design process. That’s when I fell in love with participatory design, research, and developing new ways to design.
Social innovations seemed like the perfect intersection for all of my growing interests. It’s a place that fosters experimentation for social impact. At the end of my studies, I took an internship with the innovations team at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It was kind of a dream come true. I learned so much, and it gave me confidence to finally call myself a designer and researcher. Now, I work as a design consultant for projects that work towards systems change.
You’ve been involved in designing programs for social innovation teams. Could you elaborate on some of these programs you worked on and their impact?
I’ve been deep in the design process for a new kind of incubator program. Basically, incubators are spaces to help people with bold ideas bring their initiatives to life. In social innovations, this could mean launching a start-up, research project, or non-profit. But the mission remains the same: to address global challenges and create meaningful change.
The incubator I’m helping to design hasn’t formally launched yet, so I can’t say too much about it. I can say that we’re specifically supporting systems innovators working in the conservation space and beyond; people who are innovating for people and the planet. I’ve been supporting the design of the overall program experience and support packages we can offer. We’re taking a more unconventional approach by co-designing the whole thing with the innovators. They’ve been actively shaping the program with direct feedback and ideas.
Another project I’m working on is with CIVICUS, which has an incredible alumni community from the Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards. For the 2025 launch, they wanted to co-design the awards with alumni, so I’ve been facilitating design sessions to help reimagine their future. We’re exploring ways to make the process more transparent and inclusive for innovators while also broadening the definition of “innovation” itself. Since “innovation” can feel exclusive, we’re designing approaches that also celebrate community initiatives, artivism, and different forms of transformative work.
Futures Community: What It Is and How It Makes an Impact?
Ruth created Futures Community, a close-knit group for design enthusiasts. This community serves as a collaborative space for individuals passionate about design, innovation, and research. Through engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and expert insights, Futures Community helps members expand their knowledge, refine their skills, and stay ahead of emerging trends in the field. She added,
I was running a lot of futuring and design workshops last year. People from all over the world would attend online. We often joked that they were like alternative therapy sessions.
The kind of designing I teach in workshops heavily involves storytelling and coming together over lived experiences. We would often laugh, and sometimes we would tear up from hearing each other’s stories.
It was so lovely to see people connect in this way, and I really wanted to extend the experience. So I’ve been developing this little corner of the internet where people meet, imagine what our futures could be, and feel like they have a say in making it all happen.
Reflecting on your career, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Pivoting careers was not an easy road for me. When I graduated from my design program, it was really hard for me to find a job. The tech market in particular was shrinking, and a lot of people I knew were getting laid off. Many design researchers end up working in tech as UX researchers, and I thought this was the only viable career option for me. When I started getting ghosted after job interviews, I knew it was a sign for me to pivot. I found my internship at UNDP purely by chance, just Googling design roles in innovation. It turned out to be the greatest gift since I don’t think I would have been happy designing tech products.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in my career is not to compare my journey to others. I’ve always envied those who knew exactly what they wanted to do as a kid and followed a straight path to get there. That wasn’t the case for me. I’ve had to explore different roles to understand what I enjoy and what I don’t. Every door that has closed led me closer to ones created for me. For the first time, I truly feel like I’m building the career I was meant to have.
How do you envision the future of design research and its role in addressing societal challenges? Any other upcoming projects?
I hope more design students find their way into design research! This field holds so much potential and yet remains underexplored relative to other design fields. The only way we can create lasting change in the world is if we spend the time exploring and experimenting. Sometimes we need to slow down the development of products and services; this is especially true right now for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Design research empowers us to consider the impact of what we create.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping to resume facilitating workshops, particularly around my “Phenomena Method.” I’m also planning to dedicate more time and energy to growing the futures community I’ve started. Let’s see what happens in the future!
When people say Filipinos are everywhere, it doesn’t just refer to places, it also applies to professions. Filipinos excel in a wide range of unique fields, proving that if we put passion and commitment, we can succeed in our chosen careers. Ruth is a perfect example, along with many other Filipinos who continuously invest in learning and self-improvement.
We’ll see more of Ruth in the many Filipinos making their mark across the globe.
Hi, I’m Kirsty! I'm a freelance journalist, an aspiring writer, and a dogmom! I believe in the magic of words and the way they can spark change, lift voices that need to be heard, and inspire people to dream a little bigger and act a little braver. Cheers!
