By Saša Crkvenjaš     In August 2018, I packed my bags for a transoceanic flight not knowing it would be the last time I had a singular identity. I had no idea what was waiting ahead of me, and my worries about the English language were trivial in comparison. Five years later I still don’t know what it is in me that has always sparked a curiosity for the unknown and a desire to travel. Of course, like every typical Sarajevan and Bosnian, I know there is no future in our country – it died in 1992. But, as an atypical Sarajevan and Bosnian, I did not go to Germany as true diaspora, but ventured a little further with no concrete goal in mind. At times, it feels like my only goal is simply to avoid permanently returning home. After a million flights, five years, and two semi-identities, I’m unsure if I feel more complete than before. Over time, I built my second, American identity, but at the cost of my Bosnian one. The …

By Liz Chen Belonging exists at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Historically, the design education curriculum has been constructed by one demographic group: white heterosexual cis-gendered men. Despite the existence of diverse designers, Western design education is rooted in Eurocentric colonization, prioritizing design histories from Europe over histories of Indigenous and non-European origins (Andersen, 2017; Sales, 2021; Noel, 2020). In the U.S., design education curricula generally operates from a colonized perspective, largely ignoring the design contributions and histories of many countries around the world (Ikeda, et al., 2021; Sales, 2021). The pervasive teaching of European design history implicitly communicates to students with marginalized identities that white, Eurocentric design is more valuable than design from underrepresented cultural and social groups (Sales, 2021). A rising number of undergraduate design students identify as belonging to a socially disadvantaged group (racialized [non-white], transgendered [non-cis], sexual minorities)  – a radical shift from early years of the profession’s students (AIGA, 2021). And yet, the lack of design curricula that includes texts by diverse populations (“by women and femmes, by …

By Amanda Williams Imagine standing in a crowd. You may be standing slightly to the side by a wall, watching the crowd move and flow. What are you feeling? Perhaps you are feeling anxiety; there are too many strangers,  and you are questioning if it is acceptable for you to be here. Alternatively, perhaps, you feel a sense of calm. You may be waiting for some friends to meet you, or you have some relationship with the crowd, be it an event or shared goal.  The feeling of connectedness that comes from a sense of belonging, much like the example of feeling calm in a crowd, is hugely impactful to our experiences. Standing in a crowd could be a calming, even invigorating experience if we feel as though we belong, or it can be anxiety-inducing and alienating if we feel out of place. The external factors needed to have a sense of belonging can range from having solid relationships with a few people to sharing a common interest or goal with a wide variety of …

By Kayla Rondinelli What place does art have in design? As someone who defines themselves as an artist, painter, creator, and maker above all else, I often struggle with feeling like I truly belong in the design community, or if I even want to. Graphic design is a relatively modern field. The problems design looks to solve are taking place in a digital age, characterized by the extraordinary speed of technological innovation, in cyberspaces and in seemingly infinite realms as yet beyond human comprehension. Art is not a new field but a critical part of human history, ‘Art’ permeates all parts of life; society, culture, and professions of all kinds. While it seems to have withstood the test of time; proven by the fact that people still visit art that was created tens of thousands of years ago, the world as we know it is changing. Though traditional art will never be completely replaced by the digital medium, with the emergence of AI-generated art, the progression of VR spaces, and the development of NFTs in …