Research
Read more about my current research projects
In March of 2022, I will be defending my dissertation for a PhD in Design from IIT Institute of Design. Under the direction of Carlos Teixeira and Laura Forlano, my dissertation topic is “Prototyping a Critically-Informed Design Praxis for Equitable Economies”.
My scholarly research focuses on three intersecting lines of inquiry that explore equitable design methodologies in both practice and pedagogy. The first area of focus explores how professional designers can shift their methods and practices to more effectively consider the ways in which systemic oppression impacts their design problems and solutions. For my dissertation project, I developed a conceptual framework for an anti-oppressive design praxis which serves as a scaffolding for bringing a critical awareness of power into design methods. Informed by primary and secondary research, the framework is built around orientations, activities, and design methods rooted in a social justice orientation that views systems through a political economy lens. I have been testing the framework through a series of workshops with professional designers, and I plan to submit my findings for publication later this year. My future goal is to work more directly with professional design firms to explore how they might adapt the framework and evolve this approach to their own practices.
In a second area of research, I explore how designers might contribute to envisioning anti-racist futures. To do this, I have been collaborating with Hillary Carey, a fellow PhD student and design researcher, on a series of workshops with faculty, staff, and students higher education institutions in which we collectively imagine anti-racist futures of these organizations. We are currently in the process of analyzing our initial findings and preparing articles for publication and conference presentation. We also intend to seek new clients so that we can continue to experiment with these methods through participatory workshops.
A third line of research examines experiential education within design pedagogy and curricula. As part of this work, I am collaborating with Meaghan Dee, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech, on a book manuscript that outlines the foundations and strategies of student-run campus design studios. This book will be targeted towards both students and faculty and is currently under review with Bloomsbury Publishing with a target publication date in 2023.