“Designmatters allows us to look at the world as a classroom with an eye toward changing it for the better. We aspire to redefine and expand the role of the artist and designer into one who is a catalyst for social change and innovation.” Mariana Amatullo, Vice President, Designmatters Department
An engaged mode of art and design education that forms creative leaders, Designmatters provides the know-how and aspiration to shape the futures we truly desire for a more sustainable and equitable world.
Through research, advocacy and action, Designmatters engages, empowers and leads an ongoing exploration of art and design as a positive force in society.
Designmatters is integrated across all the educational departments at Art Center College of Design. Activities are organized at 3 key levels:
As an educational magnet and research division for the college, we conceive of projects for the curriculum, oversee the DM Concentration at the undergraduate level, and partner with the Graduate Media Design Program in the Media Design Matters Track;
As an agent for social impact educational projects, we are a guarantor for implementation and assessment of projects led by students, faculty and alumni;
As an external relations center for strategic partnership building, we leverage art and design education as tool for positive change in the world.
As Art Center’s social impact department, Designmatters is where local, national and global issues are encountered head-on. Participants are in the world, with the world.
Values that are embedded into the department are filtered into the curriculum, programs and projects. These values represent the spirit of Designmatters, and consist of:
Commitment: We are dedicated to looking at, confronting, researching and addressing real-world issues, and we endeavor to innovate through art and design.
Relevance: We strive to be a model for relevancy in education. We open doors for organizations to engage with artists and designers and see them as key contributors to their mission.
Engagement: We look at the world as our classroom, with an eye toward changing it for the better. Our students engage in experiential learning, giving them an insider’s awareness of the challenges confronting communities around the block or around the world.
Collaboration: We view art and design as a space that invites collaboration with other disciplines, such as: development, science, business, engineering, and anthropology. It is in the intersection between distinct areas of inquiry that we often find the most opportunity for innovation.
Empathy: We believe that artists and designers can be uniquely compassionate as how they relate to the lives of others, and with that comes great responsibility.
Action-led outcomes: We see art and design students as having the gift of creativity and the skills to execute a vision, and when immersed in a real-world context, they can be empowered to become changemakers.
“Turning outward is key to the future of higher education in art and design. Designmatters provides the platform where that can happen.” Lorne M. Buchman, President, Art Center College of Design
At the environmental, social and economic levels, this pillar addresses global challenges by meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future.
With a focus on mobilizing decision-making and provoking change at the policy level, this pillar explores communication tactics and advocacy strategies.
Touching on health issues that impact global populations, this pillar creates the designs of environments, products, systems of delivery, and communication portals.
Using innovative, market-based approaches to create social and environmental impact, this pillar guides a new generation of innovators who want to do well by doing good.
With the Designmatters December/January blog entry, it has become sort of a tradition to take a beat to reflect about milestones, while jotting down some thoughts about what may lay ahead with the start of the New Year.
Safe Agua Peru projects Balde A Balde, GiraDora and Vitamigos are in the running for a Peoples Choice Award from the Dell Social Innovation Challenge.
Balde a Balde designed by Kim Chow (Product Design) and Carlos Vides (Environmental Design), is a portable faucet that delivers pipeless running water from any bucket, alleviating many of the health and financial costs of using stagnant water.
GiraDora designed by Alex Cabunoc (Product Design and Jia You (Environmental Design) is a human-powered washer and spin dryer to increase the efficiency and improve the experience of washing clothes by hand.
Vitamigos designed by Cora Neil (Environmental Design) and Thomas Kong (Product Design) creates a new, fun, playful, and interactive experience for moms and kids that combines water purification and nutrition in a tasty beverage.
The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their transformative ideas.
Click here to learn more. The contest runs through May 13, so be sure to register and vote!
As NCIIA Sustainable Vision Grantees, key members from the Safe Agua Peru team will be attending the Dell Social Innovation Challenge Sustainable Vision Venturelab to share preliminary design outcomes from the course and continue learning strategies to move the projects further.
The VentureLab is an intensive, five-day, highly experiential and immersive workshop designed to enhance the success of your venture. Participants develop strong, sustainable business models that create products or services for the benefit of people living in poverty.
The lab will be held at the University of Texas, Austin – January 12-16, 2012
To learn more click here.
Change Observer
December 2011
by David Stairs
David Stairs shares his thoughts about the “Design with the Other 90%: CITIES” Exhibit at the United Nations, where the Safe Agua Chile project was recently showcased.
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