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What is feminist design, and how do we practice it? For decades, the feminist refrain within design has hinged on the representation and inclusion of women in the field. Today, there is a resounding call to move beyond this narrow application. Feminist design is not just about who does design—it is about how we do design and why.
The Chicago Graphic Design Club and DePaul University hosts a panel discussion led by Alison Place, author of Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design, about the realities of doing feminist design. Through a conversation with panelists whose backgrounds span education, public service, and industry, we explored what it looks like to bring feminist values to our work and the challenges of operating design in a feminist way.
Moderator
Alison Place — University of Arkansas
Alison Place is a designer, educator, and researcher who works at the intersection of feminism and design to create spaces for critical making and radical speculation. She is the author of Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design published by MIT Press in 2023. She is an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Arkansas School of Art, where she also serves as the director of the graphic design program. She has held several leadership roles in the design community, including two terms on the AIGA Design Educators Community National Steering Committee, and has earned multiple national awards for her scholarship and creative work. Previously, she worked for more than ten years as a creative director and designer for nonprofit and higher education institutions. She earned an M.F.A. in experience design from Miami University of Ohio, as well as degrees in graphic design and journalism from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning.
Panelists
Rachael Dietkus — Social Workers Who Design
Rachael Dietkus, a social worker-designer, specializes in integrating care, ethics, and trauma awareness into design, social work, and technology. Her approach, ‘design care,’ emphasizes an ethic of care, accountability, and possibility. Through her consultancy, Social Workers Who Design, she collaborates globally on design research and strategy, prioritizing trauma literacy and care humility in design. With over 25 years of experience, Rachael has contributed to social justice, human rights, and social change in various sectors, including non-profits, academia, and government. She has served as an AmeriCorps Member, a UN delegate, and a Governor-appointed Commissioner with Serve Illinois. Rachael is the inaugural social worker-designer at the U.S. Digital Service, focusing on trauma-informed design across agencies. Additionally, she is a fellow with the Social Work Futures Lab, backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Eden Laurin — Nyssa
After graduating from Depaul University and winning a Division 1 NCAA championship as part of the Blue Demon Volleyball team, Eden started a school in Guatemala. She then returned to the States to launch her first retail line as Partner with James Beard winning The Violet Hour; started her first 501c3 The Drinking Fountain while 9 months pregnant; and then founded Nyssa Care to bring innovation and design to women’s healthcare. She is currently CEO of Nyssa, and working to change the future of women’s healthcare.
Laura Rossi Garcia — Publicis Sapient
Laura Rossi García, a Puerto Rican designer and educator, intertwines history, futures, and feminism in her practice. Focused on design and typography, her research delves into overlooked histories absent from our official cannons. Her work has been presented at Design History Society, Design Incubation, BIPOC Design History Series, and DesignHer. With a BFA in Art History from Goucher College and an MFA in Graphic Design from Vermont College of Fine Arts, Laura has taught at Union County College, Kean University, Seton Hall University, The College of New Jersey, and DePaul University. Currently, Laura is a Design Operations manager and the Early Careers liaison to the Experience capability at Publicis Sapient — a position that merges her interests in design, education, mentorship, DEI, and bridging academia and industry.
Heather Snyder Quinn — DePaul University
Heather is usually where she “isn’t supposed to be.” You will find her playing in unexpected places, physical or virtual, and collaborating with people from an array of backgrounds. Her work uses design fiction to empower communities to imagine possible futures and understand technology’s impact on human freedoms, including artificial intelligence and the metaverse. Heather’s work has been recognized by the Washington Post, Hyperallergic, and The Letterform Archive and published internationally, most recently in Feminist Designer, Attending to Futures, and The World Economic Forum. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Design, the Wicklander Fellow in Ethics, and an OpEd Public Voice Fellow at DePaul University’s Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, School of Design. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Joe, and their two daughters.
Address:
DePaul University
14 E. Jackson
Chicago, IL 60604
Daley Center LL 105
Doors open: 5 PM.
The panel discussion starts: 6 PM.
Special thanks to DePaul University for the space and contributions.
