Design Futures Student Leadership Forum
Spring 2020
The Design Futures Public Interest Design (PID) Student Leadership Forum is a five-day, interdisciplinary forum focused on bringing together designers, strategists, artists, scientists, and futurists to facilitate and advance responsible design and strategy practices that consider the ethical, cultural, environmental, political and economic challenges and opportunities of future products, services, and systems. Conversations are framed to engender leadership and skill-building for future leaders hoping to use design as a tool for social equity and positive change in underserved communities. By bringing student leaders and faculty together, Design Futures helps foster peer-based professional development by creating opportunities for collaboration and collective innovation.
MDD Sophomore, Chanté Burch on her experience at the Design Futures Student Leadership Forum
Design Utah: Tell us about your experience with Design Futures.
Chanté: This summer was my first experience with Design Futures. I (virtually) attended the Design Futures Student Leadership Forum. The forum was a three day event where I participated in various workshops on topics related to design in relation to racial justice. I also attended some events where I was able to connect with other students and faculty showing me more perspectives on this year’s focus.
Design Utah: Where do you see the intersection of Design with ethical, cultural, environmental, political or economic issues?
Chanté: Well I think at its very core, design is the final look and function of everything we create. Everything we interact with was designed by someone or a group of individuals. When you are able to recognize that design is the tool that has been used for so long to disenfranchise people, places, the environment, etc; you realize that it is the same tool we can use to create change.
Design Utah: What were some of the salient perspectives that you took the forum?
Chanté: I think the main thing is recognizing our individual privileges and leveraging them to create change. Empathy is not enough. We need to lead with humility so we can have empathy without ego. It can be as simple as not talking/standing up for people, places, things that are not being included in discussions. The other thing that I think really stood out was the idea of questioning arrangements. “Ideas are embedded within arrangements which produce effects” – [quote is from my notes]. Sometimes just the rearrangement of parts can drastically affect the outcomes of systems.
Design Utah: As a designer, where do you see your involvement [in Design Futures and other social impact platforms] going from here?
Chanté: I still feel as though I am a wee babe when it comes to design. I am barely starting out as a Sophomore in the MDD program. As I learn more and grow as a designer my goals will change. I think that I would like to attend Design Futures when people can meet in person again I think it will be an even better experience. That being said I have recently learned about some really amazing non-profits and initiatives that aim to educate and support Black designers, such as myself. I really want to get involved in these organizations so I can help create the next wave of Black designers. Having been a part of Design Futures I know have a network of people I can call upon to help me in these goals and offer mentorship.
For more information about Design Futures or to explore different facets of their work, click here.