Rachael Dietkus

The goal of this workshop is to create a psychologically safe space to talk about the methods and principles of practicing trauma-informed and trauma-responsive design. There is both value and an opportunity for designers to learn about and understand different forms of trauma and how this often presents in our design work - from design research to scoping prospective projects, to navigating colleagues and executives in small to large firms. Adopting a trauma-responsive approach in design cannot be accomplished through any singular particular technique or checklist. It requires constant attention, compassionate awareness, care and sensitivity, and cultural acknowledgment and change at an organizational level. In this workshop, we’ll define what trauma is and how it might appear in our work with participants and with our colleagues. We’ll discuss a variety of triggers and what trauma can do in the body. Participants will take time to recognize and name the variety of aspects of their design practice that may be triggering, traumatizing, or retraumatizing. We’ll also define what trauma-informed, healing-centered, and trauma-responsive means and have participants ideate and synthesize how they can shift their practice in meaningful and sustainable ways. Lastly, as a group, we’ll work together to come up with a list of future-thinking practices, as well as a list of considerations to be shared with a wider, engaged audience.