Design Leader | Researcher | Strategist
Thought Leadership
Afterthought
Community Experience Design
In 2022, I co-founded Afterthought — a professional collective of social designers who are eager for systemic change. Together, we have built a community around acknowledging that designing for social impact is messy, and sometimes really hard.
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Our collective creates gatherings that make space for designers to have hard conversations, commiserate in community, and learn from each other. As we grow, I am focused on leading opportunity innovation and experience design strategy.
Past Events
Co-Creation:
UnConference​
Social Design is messy. Beyond the buzzwords, frameworks, charity, and “clarity” what goes on behind the scenes of co-creation? Can co-creation be done without causing harm? Who benefits from it - really? Can an appropriate intention to impact ratio be studied, measured, and practiced to assess consequences in co-design? What goes into the making of a successful co-creation process? How do we redefine the role of an “expert” and uplift experts with lived experiences?
This event was an intentionally and care-fully designed afternoon of conversations unraveling questions together, sharing unfinished stories, gently disagreeing, and seeking understanding around the messy, problematic, and otherwise cringe conundrums designers face when they engage in “social impact.”
“Gut Check” Workshop with George Aye
Nothing feels better than saying “no” to work that you don’t believe in. Trusting your gut is a crucial part of decision making, but what are the guiding principles that define your judgment? Exactly what qualities and aspects of a project are most important to you?
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In this interactive workshop, George Aye, co-founder of Greater Good Studio, walked participants through a process for defining their own rubric to evaluate clients. Greater Good Studio has found this approach to be transformative to their business, and it has become an indelible part of the studio's brand and culture.
“Do No Harm” with Dr. Pardis Shafafi
Design is an act of power, with the privilege and power connected to practicing design, we need to be aware of our responsibilities towards the systems and people we design for and with, and be better prepared at assessing more nuanced and complex ethical discussions.
