Graduate Work
While at California College of the Arts, I explored various design modalities to promote ethics and deepen understanding.
Trauma-Informed Design Handbook for Vulnerable Populations
Design is too often gate kept and prescribed, yet it’s a tool that can and should be democratized for real, tangible benefits.
For my capstone project, I created a handbook with a dual purpose:
Empowering communities to understand the end-to-end design process, enabling their leaders to advocate effectively for their best interests.
Educating designers on how to use systems analysis to better empathize with and serve vulnerable populations.
I was responsible for the research, strategy, and final copy.
You can learn more about the handbook here or preview a portion of the handbook here.
Special recognition and credit to Rachael Dietkus, LCSW, Jax Wechsler, and the TIDS for their work in trauma-informed design which served as the foundation and inspiration for this handbook and methodology.
Growing Unknowing: Fostering Understanding Through Shared Spaces and Collaboration
Growing Unknowing explored how we can engage in shared spaces to fully realize their benefits. The project culminated in a community garden cookbook, where recipes were created through connections formed between two strangers.