Ellie Brown |
DESIGNxRI executive director
I want to explore where we are headed as an organization and why. This is going to start with an invitation: You are welcome to join DESIGNxRI no matter your educational background, work experience, fields of interest or skills. You are welcome here.
Historically, design has not been inclusive. Women and marginalized communities were not represented in industries dominated by white men. Though tides are shifting, there is still a lack of representation. Many design firms understand the importance of representation and want to rectify problematic absences but aren’t sure where to start.
Some of the lack of diversity is due to systemic issues with who can afford a design education and marginalized communities not seeing people who look like them in design fields. There are so many reasons why, but representation matters.
When I think about the work that I want to do with DESIGNxRI, it keeps coming back to who gets to be called a designer and why.
Looking to grow representation in your organization? Consider the advice Mashapaug Nahaganset Chief Raymond “Two Hawks” Watson gave me.
He corrected me when I used the term “inclusion.”
He said, “Inclusion is inviting people into the status quo. Instead, use the word ‘expansion’ to change who can be included.”
That simple statement cracked open my view on diversity, equity and inclusion work and how we can move forward with it in the design and creative fields.