DESIGNING FOR INCLUSIVE FUTURES

Design informs how we navigate and interact with the world. Much of the current design infrastructure upholds ideals of classicism, and cis-het normativity as they reflect the perspectives of the people who made them. Through inclusive design practices, we have an opportunity to learn new perspectives of temporality and community from people who defined those things for themselves – such as the QTBIPOC community. Our world has been shaped to reflect a singular perspective of body, health, gender, race, nationalities, religion, and many other factors, and naturally exclude those who aren't part of it.

Prerequisite Knowledge Needed

None

How Will You Learn?

We will hear perspectives from multiple designers across various industries about how identity, ethics, and the design process are intrinsically linked. We will begin to craft a story about our own identities and how we might use that as a launching pad for conversations about inclusive design practices.

In this course, we will discuss ways to foster inclusivity by challenging the status quo of design today, giving tools for students to develop critical thinking about it and defining techniques for community design, and developing an inclusive design toolkit.

Students will be asked to consider their own unique perspective from the point of view of intersectionality, and how we might reconsider the design process to create a more inclusive future. The course is designed to provide a background in the history of design, identity, gender studies and more, while exposing them to new perspectives and frameworks. The objective of this course is to understand who we are as people, see how we might grow with community, and create a toolkit for deep empathy throughout the design process.

What to Bring

• A notebook and a pen
• A laptop
• Camera (phone camera is fine)