In this re-post from the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, we are highlighting the Design and Social Impact white paper based on the 2012 Social Impact Design Summit.
Mariana Amatullo at the 2012 Social Impact Design Summit
Design and Social Impact: A cross-sectoral agenda for design education, research and practice authored by Julie Lasky, chronicles the 2012 Social Impact Design Summit which brought together a diverse group of leading practitioners and educators to explore the gaps, challenges, strategies to advance the burgeoning field of socially responsible design. Organized by Cooper-Hewitt, The Lemelson Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with support from the Surdna Foundation, the event was held at The Rockefeller Foundation offices in New York.
The one-day event featured 34 leaders of social impact design, including Designmatters Vice President Mariana Amatullo as well as a dozen representatives of foundations that support social programs. The participants set out to find answers to these 3 questions/prompts formulated by representatives of Cooper-Hewitt:
1. Where are the gaps in the field of socially responsible design? What are the biggest challenges to this area of design?
2. What are organizational models of successful and sustainable ways of working in socially responsible design? What are current organizations missing? What are they doing wrong?
3. How can we effectively prepare future generations of designers for this growing area of design? Is this a viable career path? If so, how do we raise awareness of this profession?
Click here to download the Design and Social Impact: A cross-sectoral agenda for design education, research and practice PDF.
Intelligent Coalitions Panel Presenation
On February 21, 2013, a panel discussion Intelligent Coalitions: Design and Social Impact, featuring several of the summit participants––Bryan Bell of the SEED Evaluator, Krista Donaldson of D-Rev, Ezio Manzini of DESIS Network, Nadia Elkordy of the new International Development Innovation Network, as well as Mariana Amatullo––gathered to expand upon the white paper’s recommendations and proposals for how best to move forward and discuss what is next for this growing area of design.
“The panel was a terrific opportunity to tie some of the key recommendations from the white paper on Design and Social Impact that was unveiled last week, with the trajectory we have followed with our students and faculty through Designmatters. It is exciting to participate in this national conversation for a field that continues to be defined by as many questions as there are nascent answers. Where are the gaps for socially responsible design? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities? What are the organizational models? How can we effectively prepare future generations of designers for this growing arena of design? What are the career pathways? Read the report and stay tuned for more conversations!”
– Mariana Amatullo, Vice President, Designmatters
Click the image below to view the Intelligent Coalitions webcast.
