CoDesign Collaborative

We are thrilled to share that the next edition of Unfold is coming to mailboxes this summer! Guest edited by Rania Adwan, The Dissent Issue explores the important role of design in challenging, disrupting, and reshaping harmful systems and unjust norms through new ideas, case studies, and collaboration. In our first-ever open call and truly collaborative approach to our publication, we received over twenty submissions. With more entries than the pages could hold, we embraced a multi-media approach and are excited to platform dynamic graphic essays and narrated audio, including a conversation with Guest Editor Rania Adwan and Sabiha B. Preorder your copy or become a CoDesign Collaborative Member for $5/monthly to receive your copy! https://lnkd.in/gqsyUdek The Dissent Issue features: * Ways to dismantle and rebuild systemic structures through fashion and architecture by Jocelyn R., Jacquelyn Iyamah, and Ryan Swanson/Maeghann Coleman, AIA, NCARB, NOMA of The Urban Conga. * Grief, resilience, and care as systemic disruption by Tracy Swyst and Rachael Dietkus, LCSW. * Graphic histories and digital protest by Melissa Casburn, tyler galloway, Tyfahra Milele, PhD, and Corrina Espinosa and Molly Valentine Dierks. * Institutional change-makers and regional legacies by Rae Alexandra of KQED, Anna Johannes, PLY, MBA, CPACC, and Eden Elam. * Art, design, and constructive disagreement by Nick Cheney of Blackfish Gallery and Zoe Donaldson.

We are thrilled to welcome Jess Klay, Workplace Experience Leader at Red Thread, for a virtual, fireside conversation with Tracy Brower, PhD, author, sociologist, and VP of Workplace Insights with Steelcase, on June 16, at 12pm ET / 9am PT. Inspired by Dr. Brower's new book, Critical Connections, Jess and Tracy will discuss fascinating research and fresh perspectives about the power of community in work and life, how to rebuild relationships, create community, and build belonging. CoDesign LIVE is FREE for Members, Partners, and Students! Check your inbox for the promo code: https://lnkd.in/efWM4HFP

This will be such a great conversation with the amazing Jess Klay sponsored by CoDesign Collaborative. Please join us! For a complimentary registration, use the code BROWER. #CriticalConnections #community #worklife

This summer, CoDesign Collaborative will host its annual CoDesign Student Challenge. This program provides high school students with hands-on design experience in partnership with leading brands, industry professionals, and real-world clients. Students are compensated for their time, in line with our commitment to equity. Led by Roxane Spears, former VP of Sustainability at Tarkett, and Alfred Byun, Design Director at Gensler, this year’s challenge is "The Reverse Blueprint. Students will be introduced to essential practices in sustainable product design, material assessment, and the 9 Planetary Boundaries. Over the course of two hands-on design workshops, they will prototype, design, and build an everyday item using existing materials that can be deconstructed into high-value components for a second life. Applications are now open! Share this opportunity with a young person in your life or donate to the Education Fund to support the program! https://lnkd.in/ehRkCHun

In this economy, the focus is often on efficiency and metrics, but businesses don't drive results without fostering individual collaboration, connection, and a sense of belonging. What do we even mean by "belonging"? It isn’t just about having a seat at the table or being included in a meeting. True belonging is the feeling of being valued, respected, and psychologically safe enough to bring your authentic self to work. Next week, Jess Klay of Red Thread will host Tracy Brower, PhD of Steelcase, for CoDesign LIVE, a virtual fireside conversation on the incredible research behind the importance of belonging and why it is so critical now. Tune in on June 16 at 12pm ET / 9 am PT: https://lnkd.in/efWM4HFP

On May 19, CoDesign Collaborative's #Boston community came together to celebrate the students who participated in the 2025 Summer CoDesign Challenge presented by Excel Dryer. Guided by Alfred Byun and Jenn Contois, the students created custom designs for Excel's hand dryers over the course of two hands-on workshops. The designs were then custom-printed by Excel Dryer and installed in partnership with the City of Boston at Faneuil Hall, City Hall, and the Thomas Johnson Community Center. Watch the video to see the students in action! Stay tuned to learn more about the 2026 CoDesign Student Challenge.

Earlier this month, Scott Edwards Architecture partnered with CoDesign Collaborative to bring their workshop, How To: Using Post-Occupancy Evaluations for Social Change, to our community in #PDX. The facilitated group session explored post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) as a tool for learning, relationship-building, and continuous improvement in design practice. While POEs are often associated with architecture and the performance of completed buildings, Scott Edwards Architecture framed them as something broader: a structured way to gather meaningful user feedback after a design has been put into use. For the SEA team, POEs help strengthen long-term relationships with clients, uncover opportunities to improve upon completed projects, and most importantly, create a feedback loop that informs future projects, including site and building design and material and equipment selection, all in support of sound design decision-making! Read more about the workshop and POEs in our latest Field Report by workshop attendee and CoDesign Collaborative Board Member, Alan Scott, FAIA, LEED Fellow: https://lnkd.in/e7FYTND5

How do we pivot from a healthcare system that serves its own metrics to one that centers on what the people it serves most need and want? A re-orientation towards human dignity starts with listening, co-creating, and measuring success through the eyes of the patient. Join us for Episode 10 of CoDesign Conversations: Centering Human Experience in Healthcare, presented by Coforma. Moderated by Amy Heymans, CEO of Beneficent, the discussion will highlight projects and insights from guest speakers Betsy Ramaccia of Coforma, Geetha G., MD, PhD, MPH, and Linda Roussel, PhD, RN, CNL, NEA-BC, FAAN, who have spent their careers working to create more equitable and human-centered systems to better support patients.

CoDesign Collaborative’s 2024-2025 Annual Impact Report is live! This online report highlights the milestone moments and accomplishments of the organization’s fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. It also recognizes the incredible support and commitment of our members and partners, who share our mission to inspire social change through the transformative power of design. CoDeCo is a small, mighty community. Dive into the report and feel proud about the part you played in helping us to bring design-impact programming to Boston, Portland, and beyond! https://lnkd.in/e-yYz_9R #annualreport #designforsocialimpact #codesign