Designing for a Difference: Responding to Community Needs During COVID-19

1 AIA LU (HSW)

In the face of the coronavirus crisis, designers are stepping up in new ways to use their skills and expertise to solve community problems. This panel discussion will highlight how the design community is providing quick, inexpensive, and easily-implemented solutions to help vulnerable individuals, small businesses, and community organizations respond to challenges caused by the pandemic. Three to four designers and at least one client/recipient organization will be represented on the panel.

The session will highlight initiatives that utilize a community-engaged approach to identify needs and develop solutions. One example is the Community Design Collaborative’s Design SWAT Team, which is providing quick-response design services to community organizations and small businesses. The Design SWAT Team’s pilot project focused on helping Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter for men, design a new “grab and go” meal service and implement social distancing in and around their building.

The panel will demonstrate how design professionals can assist organizations with their short-term needs during the pandemic, while also helping organizations re-envision their long-term goals. Participants will leave feeling encouraged and inspired to use their problem-solving skills to help our communities become safer, healthier, and more efficient.