Design Museum Foundation
Inspiring Careers
Background
The Design Museum Foundation is a nomadic museum that educates and celebrates all things design.
- According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, 86% of designers are White/Caucasian. Only 2% are Black, 4% Hispanic/Latino, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2% are Other.
- The International Interior Design Association's report on diversity and gender equity shows that while 60% of interior design practitioners are female, only 25% of firm leaders are women.
- Based on data from the American Institute of Architects, less than 2% of all licensed architects in the United States are African-American. And less than 0.2% are African-American women.
The Challenge
Increase diversity in design by connecting aspiring designers with industry professionals.
My Role
In this three-week design sprint, I worked in a team of four UX Designers.
I was primarily responsible for:
- Project Management
- Information Architecture
- Visual Design
- UI Design
- Mentee Interviews
Skills and tools I used: User Research, paper sketching, user journeys, user flows, wireframes, paper prototyping, site map, Axure, clickable prototype
The information in this case study is my own and does not reflect the views of the Design Museum Foundation.
Discovery
Design mentors were willing to connect and mentor students on any platform, but were limited by time and commitment.
Design mentees valued practical knowledge and hands-on experience, but had limited opportunities to engage or seek out professional designers.
We gathered data with a combination of an online survey as well as user interviews.
Mentors:
“I can only give ___ of hours to mentorship.”
“I’d be willing to host mentees at my workplace.”
“I believe mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“My mentoring relationships grew organically.”
“I am comfortable communicating on any platform.”
Mentees:
“I value practical knowledge and experiences.”
“I have people who support my career.”
“I seek opportunities to connect with designers (but I’m not sure how to approach them).”
“I use my smartphone more than computers.”
Ideation
User Journeys, Whiteboarding, and Sketches
The Solution
AirBnB for the workplace
A Responsive web mentorship platform to facilitate workplace visits.
Next Steps
- Research to understand and implement best practices for consent and involvement of minors on the platform.