CHALLENGE

The design industry has long recognized that it does not reflect the diversity of the society it serves. Despite decades of conversation about the issue, meaningful progress has been slow. The barriers facing designers from underrepresented backgrounds are structural and persistent: limited access to design education, few pathways into the profession, and a lack of the mentorship and professional networks that most successful designers relied on to get their start. D×D was built to address those barriers systematically, across the full arc of a designer’s journey from first exposure to the profession all the way through to employment and advancement.

OUR WORK

After nearly a year of research, ideation, and collaboration with leading voices across the design industry, we developed the D×D coalition framework. Guided by a diverse Advisory Council and supported by 22+ partner organizations, D×D tackles barriers at every point in the design journey through five focus areas: Exposure, Education, Experience, Employment, and Empowerment.

Since launch, D×D has built and manages four active initiatives:

• Design= introduces design thinking, creative problem-solving, and career pathways to students in grades 7-12, reaching 2,612 students and 204 educators across 14 U.S. cities.

• D×D Intensives provide design students from underrepresented backgrounds with real-world industry experience through mentorship, portfolio reviews, and direct access to creative industry professionals, supporting 230+ college students in three years.

• The AIGA Worldstudio D×D Scholarship Program builds on a thirty-year legacy of supporting emerging creative voices from underrepresented backgrounds entering the design profession.

• Ask Me Anything is an ongoing event series where professional designers share their career journeys directly with students and aspiring designers.

IMPACT

• 22+ partner organizations spanning corporations, associations, universities, and nonprofits

• 2,612 students reached across 14 U.S. cities through Design=

• 204 educators trained to deliver design thinking in any classroom

• 230+ college students supported through D×D Intensives in three years

• 92% of high school students reported increased interest in creative careers after participating in Design=

• Four active initiatives spanning exposure, education, experience, and employment

SELECT ACTIVITIES

Advisory board development & management · Business planning & funding · Coalition design & management · Community engagement · Cross-sector partnership development · Impact measurement · Program design & management · Strategic planning