Event Description:
Throughout AIGA’s 100-year history, design and innovation have advanced not only our industry, but transformed everyday life. However, there are two overlapping areas in which design as a profession is lagging: demographic diversity and a culture of inclusion. The two rely on each other, and both are crucial for the future success of the industry.
Race is only part of the picture. Diversity in design means diversity of experience, perspective and creativity—otherwise known as diversity of thought—and these can be shaped by multiple factors including race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual identity, ability/disability, and location, among others. The diversity problem in design is not only in the numbers, but also in the lack of diverse role models, opportunities, and public awareness—which leads to apathy, insensitivity, and even outright discrimination.*
On Saturday, March 26, join us at Koba Cafe in Federal Hill for a thoughtful roundtable conversation about why diversity matters and how we as designers can work to create a culture of inclusion within our workplace, other organizations we are involved with, and in our community as a whole. We’ll ask and answer questions such as:
- What are some of the roadblocks you face as a designer dealing with diversity?
- What does diversity look like within the design world and within our community?
- Is diversity realistic (i.e., can everyone truly be represented and how)?
- What are some actions we can take that will promote a more diverse culture within our community?
While this event will be geared towards designers, we encourage those in other professions to join us in our discussion.
Members: Free
Non-members: $10
Suggested Reading
Find more about diversity and inclusion:
*Portions of this event description are taken from Antoinette Carroll’s article, “Diversity & Inclusion in Design: Why Do They Matter?”, published on AIGA.org. Antoinette Carroll is the Chair of AIGA’s Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, the president of AIGA St. Louis, and the executive director of Creative Reaction Lab, a social impact design collaborative whose mission is to challenge global issues through creative problem solving. Read more about Antionette Carroll.
