Tangible Traces of 2023

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As the year comes to an end, we’re revisiting some of our favorite design artifacts from 2023. Behind each artifact are myriad stories: subtle interactions that sparked major shifts, tough junctures that evolved into transformative breakthroughs, and creative epiphanies that inspired joyful solutions. The moments that led to their creation have pushed us to answer some of the most intractable issues we face with rigor, heart, bravery, and magic. Together, they give us hope and inspiration for the path ahead.

? 1. To make sexual health services more accessible for teens in Dallas County, Texas, we partnered with Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL)'s Trust Her team to build an interactive booth decked with takeaway posters, leaflets, and kits. These materials combined with on-site touch points were designed to help teens navigate challenging conversations and understand their health options. Design by Hitesh Singhal and Mavis Cao . Learn More

? 2. To evidence possibilities, initiatives, and mindsets for a new paradigm in American Healthcare, we worked with The Health Equity Collective to build Organizing for Equity—a playbook with organizing strategies, tools, and stories from members of the Collective. Design by Hitesh Singhal and Maria Contreras . Learn More

? 3. To immerse a collective of workforce development stakeholders in the future of work, we built the Museum of Purpose and Endeavor. Set in the year 2040, the museum exhibited artifacts and testimonies of everyday Americans to showcase the various ways work has changed over several generations. Design by Adriana Crespo .

? 4. To support smallholder coffee farmers in Peru in navigating the impacts of climate change, we developed Croppie—an app in partnership with Producers Direct. The app provides farmers with insights into the health of their crops, projections for their financial gains, and tips to optimize their yield amidst changing weather patterns. Design by Edwin Mwai . Learn More.

? 5. To build new narratives on childcare and the value of caregiving, we designed a deck of cards as part of a larger program to inspire and energize advocates and stakeholders about their role in changing the paradigm. The cards encourage creative thinking and a deeper understanding of various roles in care work. Design by David Dawkins . Learn More

? 6. To enhance digital financial literacy among young garment workers in Vietnam, we partnered with Primark and Standard Chartered Bank to craft the Bright Futures guidebook and toolkit — two elements within a larger financial education program that centered the needs, barriers, and aspirations workers carried around money. Design by Edwin Mwai , Doodle Design . Learn More

? 7. To imagine radical new futures that advance gender equality, we published Speculative Futures in Gender Equality — an interactive website and report that examines the creative and imaginative ways actors within the space are thinking about the shared future. Design by Nakhanu Wafula .?Learn More

? 8. ?To advance maternal healthcare in New Jersey, we worked with community doulas to the workforce in a way that honors and elevates the craft of birthwork. This program blueprint served as a guide to push forth the recommendations and strategies we co-designed.?Design by Maggie Chok