“Designmatters allows us to look at the world as a classroom with an eye toward changing it for the better. We aspire to redefine and expand the role of the artist and designer into one who is a catalyst for social change and innovation.” Mariana Amatullo, Vice President, Designmatters Department
An engaged mode of art and design education that forms creative leaders, Designmatters provides the know-how and aspiration to shape the futures we truly desire for a more sustainable and equitable world.
Through research, advocacy and action, Designmatters engages, empowers and leads an ongoing exploration of art and design as a positive force in society.
Designmatters is integrated across all the educational departments at Art Center College of Design. Activities are organized at 3 key levels:
As an educational magnet and research division for the college, we conceive of projects for the curriculum, oversee the DM Concentration at the undergraduate level, and partner with the Graduate Media Design Program in the Media Design Matters Track;
As an agent for social impact educational projects, we are a guarantor for implementation and assessment of projects led by students, faculty and alumni;
As an external relations center for strategic partnership building, we leverage art and design education as tool for positive change in the world.
As Art Center’s social impact department, Designmatters is where local, national and global issues are encountered head-on. Participants are in the world, with the world.
Values that are embedded into the department are filtered into the curriculum, programs and projects. These values represent the spirit of Designmatters, and consist of:
Commitment: We are dedicated to looking at, confronting, researching and addressing real-world issues, and we endeavor to innovate through art and design.
Relevance: We strive to be a model for relevancy in education. We open doors for organizations to engage with artists and designers and see them as key contributors to their mission.
Engagement: We look at the world as our classroom, with an eye toward changing it for the better. Our students engage in experiential learning, giving them an insider’s awareness of the challenges confronting communities around the block or around the world.
Collaboration: We view art and design as a space that invites collaboration with other disciplines, such as: development, science, business, engineering, and anthropology. It is in the intersection between distinct areas of inquiry that we often find the most opportunity for innovation.
Empathy: We believe that artists and designers can be uniquely compassionate as how they relate to the lives of others, and with that comes great responsibility.
Action-led outcomes: We see art and design students as having the gift of creativity and the skills to execute a vision, and when immersed in a real-world context, they can be empowered to become changemakers.
“Turning outward is key to the future of higher education in art and design. Designmatters provides the platform where that can happen.” Lorne M. Buchman, President, Art Center College of Design
At the environmental, social and economic levels, this pillar addresses global challenges by meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future.
With a focus on mobilizing decision-making and provoking change at the policy level, this pillar explores communication tactics and advocacy strategies.
Touching on health issues that impact global populations, this pillar creates the designs of environments, products, systems of delivery, and communication portals.
Using innovative, market-based approaches to create social and environmental impact, this pillar guides a new generation of innovators who want to do well by doing good.
Safe Agua Peru’s Giradora and Balde a Balde teams did a fantastic job pitching at two Open Minds events, during the annual NCIIA Open Minds Conference in San Francisco.
Designmatters Vice President Mariana Amatullo is quoted in Jon Kolko’s new book entitled Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving. In the book, Kolko discusses the idea of involving end users in the entire design process and how this could affect the overall design solution.
Jon Kolko is the founder and director of Austin Center for Design, a progressive educational institution teaching interaction design and social entrepreneurship. His work focuses on bringing the power of design to social enterprises, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and large-scale industry disruption.
Click here to read an excerpt from the book, and here to purchase a copy.
Safe Agua Peru project Vitamigos has moved on to the Semi-Finals of the Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC). As a semi-finalists, Vitamigos designers Cora Neil and Thomas Kong will receive mentoring from a DSIC-Certified Mentor to help refine their project page and required finals materials. They will also be in the running for 1 of 5 grand prize cash awards totaling $105,000.
Vitamigos creates a new, fun, playful, and interactive experience for moms and kids that combines water purification and nutrition in a tasty beverage.
The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their transformative ideas.
Click here to learn more. The contest runs through May 13, so be sure to register and vote!
Core77 Design Awards 2012: Meet the Jury, Mariana Amatullo – Educational Initiatives
March 2012
Core77 interviews Mariana Amatullo, jury captain for the Educational Initiatives category, about her team members and also gets some insight into her thoughts on the critical crossroads facing design education.
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