Initiatives
To truly create a just and racially equitable design profession, people need support throughout the entire ecosystem. No journey is the same.
AIGA Worldstudio D×D Scholarship Program
A thirty-year legacy empowering diverse creative voices to shape design's inclusive tomorrow.
Ask Me Anything Event Series
Hear from professional designers about their journey to design, their experiences as a professional designer, the organizations they lead, or the things they create.
Design=
An experiential learning initiative focused on introducing design to youth from marginalized communities and increasing awareness of design as a career path.
D×D Intensives
A program that develops and supports collaborations between industry partners and design programs at institutions of higher learning that serve historically excluded students.
What we’re working on
Since our launch in January 2021, D×D’s Advisory Council, working groups, partners, and community have been taking action. Informed by lived experiences, the following is a current list of activations (support for existing work) and new programs (to fill gaps) that are either in progress or in development.
Exposure
Program partner support and partnership facilitation
K-12 mentoring programs with program partners and professionals
Curricula sharing & development
Leadership profiles of Black and Brown designers
Pre-college portfolio support
College accessibility toolkit
Education
Industry-sponsored scholarship support
Industry-sponsored partnerships with HBCUs, HSIs, and NASNTIs
Non-traditional education pathways and resources
Accessible certification programs & bootcamps
Portfolio/interview skill development programs
Experience
Integrated mentoring efforts with D×D partners
Professional development programs
Direct and sponsored internships
Apprenticeship programs
Shadowing programs
Access by/to designers of color
Preparedness training
Employment
Hiring commitments from D×D organizational partners
Connections between practicing and aspiring designers
Workplace accountability metrics and reporting tools
Industry fellowships/awards
Equitable hiring toolkit
Empowerment
Partnership development
Partner networking opportunities
D×D open-source tools
Mentoring programs across the ecosystem
Impact measurement across the ecosystem
