/SOBD
UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK DESIGN PROFESSIONALS
The State of Black Design is a movement that seeks to create a more diverse and inclusive design community through understanding and amplifying the voices of black design professionals.
We were brought in to assist Omari Souza, a leader of the SOBD movement, in qual/quan research methods to discover key insights and patterns that inform the future endeavors of the SOBD movement.
THE PROBLEM
The design community has historically lacked equal representation, access, and visibility for Black creatives. This underrepresentation limits not only individual opportunity, but the diversity of thought, culture, and lived experience that fuels innovation in design.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Our work has been applied and contributed to SOBD programs • Informing SOBD conferences and the authorship of An Anthology of Blackness, Best books of 2023 — Architecture & Design, Financial Times • 30+ professional development workshops. • Over 5,000 registrations to SOBD membership
Researching the lives of black design professionals revealed key insights into their lived and worked experiences, informing the actions of the SOBD to advocate for the transformation of an entire industry.
