Diversify by Design: A coalition launched to catalyze racial equity and justice in the design profession

NEW YORK, NY — A diverse group of organizations working at the intersection of design, education, industry, and equity, announced today the launch of Diversify by Design (DxD), a coalition to catalyze racial justice in the design profession — from the ground up.

The coalition has come together with the goal of transforming  the design industry by recognizing and addressing the extraordinary racial disparities within the field.  To do so, DxD focuses on five critical, interconnected aspects of the design ecosystem: exposure, education, experience, employment and empowerment — in an effort to break down racial inequities, while building and expanding opportunities for Black and Brown people in the profession.

The impact of tackling the racial inequities within design is significant, as are the implications if they continue as the status quo. Design touches every aspect of our lives. It dictates form, functionality, and usability. It communicates who we are, what is important, what and who matters...and who doesn’t. 

Without the benefit of full racial representation, the field of design will continue to operate on a limited view of the world. At best, implying that only certain people ideate and create, dictating what and who matters. At worst, it completely ignores entire populations, their needs and wants.

Imagine a world where design has input from every race; where everyone is represented and parity is the norm. How different would our user experiences be? What new, innovative, amazing solutions are we missing out on because of the racial inequities in the field? 

“There are many smart, yet narrow and siloed efforts being implemented by individual companies and organizations. With DxD we are trying something new. The coalition is coming together with a different approach, mobilizing the best from the experts at eye level with the barriers and challenges — those already working toward a just and equitable ecosystem — to enable widespread adoption. The time is long overdue for an effort of this scale, meaning, and ultimate impact. Design needs diversity,” said Andréa Pellegrino, co-founder of Impact Collaborative, DxD’s managing entity. 

DxD is looking at the impact of racism and the inherent injustices of the design industry in a holistic way; taking into frame its entirety and working with key innovators and change-makers already doing the heavy lifting with scalable solutions. 

Richard Jennings, SVP, Design + Production & Interactive Design at HBO & HBO Max, WarnerMedia, and a member of Diversify by Design’s Advisory Council added, “It is so important that there is exposure for youths to understand the opportunities and have access to continued support throughout their path. It took me a long time to start my design journey because I did not believe this dream was even possible.”

The DxD Advisory Council is still growing, and currently includes: 

• Corey Dangel, Executive Producer, Amazon Design Community Leader
• Richard Jennings, SVP, Design + Production & Interactive Design, HBO & HBO Max, WarnerMedia
• Vernon Lockhart, Executive Director, Project Osmosis / Principal, Art on the Loose 
• Rose Newton, Senior Design Manager, IBM
• Mitzi Okou, Co-Founder, Where are the Black Designers? / Associate Product Designer, Spotify
• Liz Ott, President, Threespot / Past President, AIGA DC
• Mark Randall, Founder, Worldstudio Foundation / Associate Dean, Parsons School of Design
• Raja Schaar, Program Director, Drexel University Product Design / Co-Chair, DEI Council, IDSA
• Jacinda Walker, Founder and Creative Director, designExplorr
• Maurice (Mo) Woods, Founder, Inneract Project / Principal Design Lead, Microsoft

Initial partners include: Amazon, Creative Reaction Lab, Cumulus, designExplorr, Delta Dental, IDSA, Inneract Project, IxDA, Project Osmosis, UC Davis Department of Design, Where are all the Black Designers?, and Worldstudio Foundation.

For more information and/or to find out how you or your organization can contribute to and benefit from Diversify by Design, visit dxd.design or email info@dxd.com. 

About the Diversify by Design (DxD) Coalition

Diversify by Design (DxD) is a coalition spearheaded by leading corporations, agencies/firms, educational institutions, nonprofits, and social-sector organizations. It is focused on five critical, interconnected aspects of the design ecosystem: Exposure, Education, Experience, Employment, and Empowerment — in an effort to diversify the design profession and break down the racial inequities throughout the industry. DxD is a coalition effort of Impact Collaborative. More information at dxd.design. 

Impact Collaborative