2018 Design + Diversity Conference A Trip to St. Louis by Kprecia Ambers & Debbie Aderinkomi September 1, 2018

Lead by Lennie Mowris & Gage Mitchell, co-authors of AIGA’s Path to Impact, this workshop explored how to build inclusivity into your work space. Grouped into teams, participants were challenged to create the worst possible work environment scenarios and then evaluate the situation. Each group wrote down what the company and co-workers could have done differently, but Lennie encouraged people to think about what the protagonist could do for themselves. It’s important to recognize your voice and power. Speaking up can educate those who are not aware of their ignorance and also create possible change within a companies structure.

This workshop was led by Erika Harano who is an Associate Manager of Learning and Education at Creative Reaction Lab. Creative Reaction Lab’s goal is to support and train a new form of leaders — equity leaders. These are individuals who are embedded in the community. They put equity and people first while building by using existing resources within their community.

What is the first step to community-centered work? Language setting. According to Creative Reaction Lab this means defining important terms such as diversity, inclusion, equality, and equity. All of these terms are related but are also very distinct in meaning and purpose.

• Diversity is the identifiers that make us unique individuals
• Inclusion is accepting, celebrating and embedding said differences

An example used during the workshop was being invited to the prom (diversity) and actually being asked to dance (inclusion).

• Equality is being the same (ie. status, opportunities, rights)
• Equity is fairness. It resolves around systematic and network outcomes, with the ultimate goal of liberation.
  

“How can you use your power on the behalf of others?”

The workshop concluded with an explanation of power. Power is the ability to use influence to the behavior of others. We all, more or less, hold power in our respective spaces. It important to think deeply about what this means. How can you use your power on the behalf of others? When should you give up some of your power? These were closing questions posed on the audience.

De Nichols a social innovator, created an open environment that invited participants to engage in social challenges that they care about as designers and collective brainstorming. Breaking into groups each individual had the choice to explore a topic and dive into ways in how those challenges can be taken into action. Questions ranged from, “how to market a business to allow opportunity to diverse groups?” to “how to deal with individuals who are against creating a more inclusive work space?” These discussions were powerful and really created a space to openly speak about issues that are typically avoided within our society.