Fall 2020: The Politics of Design

Designers often have good intentions for the work they create in the world. However, embedded politics in common design tools like type, image, and data can result in outcomes that cause unintended harm to people outside the dominant culture. By recognizing the unique position of personal, community, and institutional power held by designers and the things they create, learners will mitigate this unintended harm by adopting a responsible design approach built around concepts of co-design and social justice. Through dialogue, reflection, and collaborative studio workshops, learners move towards designing a variety of design deliverables that strive to do no harm to the people they are created for. Case studies allow learners to share details with various stakeholders and document the potential sociological and cultural impact of projects completed during the course.