This edition of Designed, features Liz Ogbu, designer, urbanist, and social innovation strategist. Liz talks about what she does, her process, how she got into design and family.

We had the honor to chat with our friend, Marcos Chavez, a principal and creative director of TODA New York. TODA is a multi-disciplinary design studio in Brooklyn whose projects range from designing tea kettles to websites, creating books, chairs and exhibits, as well as packages and spaces. During our time with him, we had the opportunity to hear about his design process, work, and advice for youth.

When I first left Richmond, I was headed to college at University of Washington (UW) on a basketball scholarship. My first, and only, ambition was to play professional basketball. I had it all figured out. I would go to UW and dominate the Pac 10 (Note: Pac 12 was Pac 10 back in my days). My mentality was like most young basketball high school preps who had some success, and was heavily recruited to play college ball.

When I sat down to write this article, I did so with a bit of skepticism. In my mind, because there are so many articles about diversity these days, it is difficult to gauge the climate. I wonder if design diversity is getting worse or if it will ever change…I have been working to increase the amount of designers of color for a long time and have heard it all! That was my first thought anyways…

Diversity in design and technology leads to more creative, innovative and profitable solutions; in our industry, community and in the world that surrounds us. But when we examine personnel data, it’s apparent there’s still a large diversity gap. In 2015, only 6% of U.S. graduates in design fields were African American and only 10% were Hispanic. For these same professional groups, the disparity extends with African American and Hispanic employment representing only 3% of our workforce. We believe those numbers can be improved with a strategic deliverable being stronger inclusivity.

There are certain principles that define different aesthetics. One is psychological: the artist or individual perceptions of reality, how does this inform their work. The other is the philosophical: the study of how meaning or notions of beauty, art, and desire are associated as ‘collective truths.’ For the perspective of this thesis, my research reflects the philosophical ideals associated with Black culture.

The Black aesthetic evolved from a group initiative to enhance the image of the New Negro. In the mid 1920’s, at the end of the First World War, Blacks were faced with a new sense of hope and promise for the future. Expressions of racial pride encouraged Blacks through their art as a means for discovering and developing a system of African identity in America. As W.E.B. DuBois stated, “the great mission of the New Negro to America and the modern world is the development of art and the appreciation of the beautiful.”

D’Wayne Edwards’ accolades precede him. He was the Design Director of Footwear for the Jordan Brand, one of six designers ever to design an Air Jordan 21 and 22, he has designed shoes at the highest level for today’s premiere athletes and teams, such as Michael Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Derek Jeter, Roy Jones Jr. and 2004 National Champion and the University of North Carolina Tarheels.

Envisioning Blackness in American Graphic Design is a monograph written by Maurice Woods. The goal was to identify, from Black culture, an aesthetic in design that is easily recognized as arising from the uniqueness of the Black experience. The pretense is in support of increasing the value of diversity in design, one of Inneract Project’s future goals. We will release chapters of this monograph throughout the year. Share if you like these.