Interior Design: Human Right or Luxury?

I get triggered - a lot (my husband would say I allow things to trigger me, but I digress). That said, being triggered by the 9-word title of an article in a magazine I love (Fast Company) was a first and a new low. The title of the article was “Interior design is a human right, not a luxury.” These 9 words had triggered something in me (not the good kind, the long sigh combined with expletives kind).

We were six months into our Change by Design series, and issues of equity, peacebuilding, poverty, hunger had been on the agenda. Yet, somehow, without reading the article, “interior design is a human right” was too much. There was a lot for me to unpack, which I later did, but that’s not the point. When I read the article, I discovered the life-changing work of Kia Weatherspoon and her team at Determined by Design. A quick Google search revealed awards, countless articles, and podcast episodes, many of which I read or listened to. Each time, Kia spoke of design equity with a laser-focused and deliberate sense of determination, urgency, accountability, and pure love for the work at hand. Kia tirelessly calls on herself, her team, and the industry to do better and challenge the status quo - by design. Kia tirelessly calls on herself, her team, and the industry to do better and challenge the status quo - by design.

I was both hooked and inspired. Kia and her company are - and have been for years - doing the hard work of leveraging the power of design to solve societal issues. Kia’s sight is set on “design equity so every person’s value is uplifted by the spaces they inhabit.” What about you? How will you leverage that same power you share with Kia?

As you reflect on this question, check out the Change by Design session in which we delve into "Design Equity Strategies for All People."