Volunteer Spotlight: Luke Woods

We recently had the chance to reflect on what 15 years looks like with our very first Volunteer, Luke Woods. Read his interview below to hear about the early days of IP and what empowering black & brown youth means for the future of design.

What do you do (role and/or company)?

I’m the Head of Design at Instagram.

What brought you to IP?

I met Maurice Woods and volunteered to teach an IP class in the summer of 2008, just before starting grad school at the University of Washington. I wasn’t very aware of design as a young person and thought it would be a good way to help introduce other young people to this field. The project was to design a logo for one’s community and I remember some really clever solutions.

IP’s 15th year theme is “Empowering the next generation of Black and Brown designers”; what does this theme mean to you?

This is a very important theme. The next generation of Black and Brown designers have the opportunity to make a huge contribution in shaping the products that the world will come to use and love. I hope we can help increase awareness of design in Black and Brown communities, provide better access to design opportunities, and invest more in Black and Brown designers to help them realize their visions. I can’t wait to experience the products myself!

If you could give one piece of advice to your 15 year old self, what would it be?

Try things! You might surprise yourself. If they don’t work out, then there are plenty of other things for you to try next.