Design Justice Network Ohio Node
(2021-2024)
Context: Regional network of practitioners aligning with the Design Justice principles to support community-centered design in Ohio.
The event shown here invited Ohio State University students to learn about the 10 principles of Design Justice and encourage them to think about their identity at designers and members of their community.
Role: Founding member; co-developed programming, facilitated workshops and conversations
Outcome/Impact: Helped establish Ohio’s node within the global Design Justice Network, facilitated connections among practitioners, students, and community organizers.
Community is vital to my motivation and inspiration. During COVID I have found it incredibly difficult to challenge my thinking and push my research forward, which led me to look for a community of people that could support each other. I had already begun to consider how social justice may become important in my research, and through Design Justice I was able to find both community and education. I knew being part of a larger cause and community would help me academically and personally and so when the option to start a design justice node in Ohio came up I knew I had to be a part of its formation. An Ohio node has become a central part of my research to provide connections to resources and participants. I see this as an opportunity to explore definitions of design through discussion and co-design methods.