I practice design as

As a designer I place the lives of my user first, which means recognizing that design happens in the real world and not in a bubble. I strive to honor the intimate pieces of their lives that are shared with me throughout the design process. I choose to use design as a tool to center marginalized voices. 

The impact of design is real and is on real people. I question the effects of that impact in every step of my design process and endeavor to use the tool of design positively. 

I practice design as

A practice of design as research ensures I am always learning, questioning assumptions, and centering the user and their unique experience. 

I practice design as

I practice design to make a difference, which means making - an object, a policy, a toolkit, a website, or an experience. Making a thing that exists in the world forces me to move from the theoretical into the real. Making is where design comes to life, even if it doesn’t always work out.

I also practice making as a powerful tool for the user, moving them into a space of co-designer. Through asking people to craft their own stories and research, in a physical manifestation, new details emerge. 

Design is only possible through making something that changes the flow of life, even if just a little.