Juan Carlos Rodriguez Rivera

What does it mean to decolonize design as non-indigenous folks? As a discipline with an inherent relationship to community and culture, how might design reflect on the historical legacies of colonization as it relates to its unreconciled impacts today? This workshop will focus on providing a foundational overview of what “decolonization” entails from the point of view of non-indigenous designers in the US. We will dismantle common assumptions and mindsets of design practices that are rooted in eurocentric and colonial legacies and understand how design sustains colonizing practices. With this in mind, we will introduce practices of personal commitment, understand designers’ roles and responsibilities in decolonization, and move from performative actions to personal accountability.