Northeastern Illinois University
You cannot be what you cannot see. The design industry has a long history of homogeneity, which is discouraging for student designers from marginalized communities. Lack of representation in design history and education has created a barrier of access for student designers. Design has a diversity problem. Lack of representation and accessibility are keeping underrepresented students from finding a place in the profession.
Curated and developed by students at Northeastern Illinois University, the longest-standing four-year public Hispanic Serving Institution in the Midwest, with the intention of celebrating Chicago designers from marginalized and under-represented communities, the exhibit acknowledges issues of diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the design community. Each designer featured in the exhibit showed work from when they were students juxtaposed with their more recent work.
This exhibition was developed in partnership with Northeastern Illinois University, the Chicago Design Archive and the Chicago Design Club.
Featured designers:
Alex Sommerville
Alisha Barnaby
Alyssa Low
Damian Loma
Elizabeth Thomas
Jawaan Burge
Jonathan Sangster
Vivi Lin
Exhibition developed by:
Peter Alegre
Natalie Diaz
Cristian Martinez Gomez
Sofia Mejia
Marco Mendoza
Krusha Patel
Vicente Santoyo
Eve Sullivan
Lauren Meranda (Professor, NEIU)