History, context, and food for thought

Investigating the history and context of your design topic—and considering how that learning will inform the work—is a grounding practice in equity-driven design.

• It helps us see where and why inequities have existed.It gives us the ability to understand when, how, and why harm has been created—and make care-based design decisions moving forward.
• It gives us the ability to appreciate the investments, labor, creativity, and radical imagination offered by those who came before us.
• It supports us in facilitating a more informed design process.

Yet it doesn’t always receive enough attention.

As you lay the groundwork for any new design project, build in meaningful time to better understand relevant history and context. Consider starting with:

• Historically, who has had the most power and privilege in regard to this topic? Why? How have they used that power and privilege?
• Historically, who has had the least power and privilege in regard to this topic? Why? How have they navigated this topic area?
• Who has the most power and privilege today? Who has the least? How does this play out?

And importantly: How does this knowledge influence how we think about the work, how we engage with the topic, and the decisions we will make?

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