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Design Impact Was Built To Make A Difference

It sounds simple when you hear it, but the idea of involving those most affected by social problems in the development of solutions is somewhat revolutionary. It’s far more common, and perhaps far easier, for those in positions of power to assume they know what’s best. But Kate Hanisian and Ramsey Ford believe the best solutions come from those who have to live with them. And the organization they founded, Design Impact, is built on that principle.

That commitment to Human-Centered Design in social innovation is apparent in everything Design Impact does. Whether in their recruiting processes, in how they run projects, or deciding which clients and projects to take on… Kate, Ramsey, and the DI team are deeply committed to ensuring inclusion and equality of opportunity are considered at every step. Again, talking about it is one thing. Seeing it in practice is entirely another.

Episode #31 Links & Info

Designing Toward Design Impact

The journey to starting something like Design Impact is fascinating to hear. How do a product designer and an elementary school teacher end up moving to India to work on social problems? How does that work wind up as a social design firm in Cincinnati that’s taking on complex social issues across the United States? The answers, as you can hear in our conversation, are wrapped up in the unique personalities of Ramsey and Kate.

As complex as the journey is, at the heart of it is their relationship and the belief they have in each other. It’s obvious that their marriage is the basis for their optimism in the face of such large obstacles as systemic racism and structural inequality. And while it might seem to some that those are tricky or even dangerous things to combine…for Kate and Ramsey it couldn’t happen any other way.

Design Impact’s Kate Hanisian & Ramsey Ford on The Distiller

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