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 …