About the Presentation

The lack of diversity in design is not a new problem. Although scholars, employers, organizations, and design professionals have been investigating it for more than 50 years, the problem still exists. Representation of people of color in the design profession hasn’t significantly increased in over ten years, while culturally insensitive advertising and messaging are on the rise. What are the problems causing this disparity? Come listen as Jacinda Walker explains the problems causing the lack of diversity in design, shares the need for more resources and outlines strategic solutions to close the diversity gap in design disciplines.

About the Speaker

Jacinda Walker is renowned for her work in design, diversity, research, and strategy. She is the founder of designExplorr, a design education business that exposes youth to design careers. Walker obtained an AAB and BFA in graphic design from the University of Akron, and an MFA in Design Research & Development from The Ohio State University. Her research on the Design Diversity Index project and Design Journeys: Strategies for Increasing Diversity in Design Disciplines has been hailed as breakthrough work. Jacinda’s solutions-based thesis explores diversity in design disciplines and investigates effective strategies to expose Black and Latino youth to design careers. Her future goals are to help scale diversity in design education initiatives in corporations, school systems, organizations, and museums for underrepresented youth.