Design Firms Team Up to Launch the Diversity in Design Collaborative

Nearly 20 firms, spanning all sectors of design, came together to create the newly launched Diversity in Design Collaborative to address disparities in representation, equity, and inclusion among Black creatives. Initiated by Herman Miller Group, the DID Collaborative will target individuals at three key stages: Awareness & Activations, aimed at spreading awareness of design careers among teens; College Programs & Education, focused on providing mentorship opportunities and portfolio reviews for students; and Recruitment & Retention, centered around supporting and fostering the development of early career creatives.

“At Herman Miller, design is core to who we are—we believe in its power to solve problems and make the world a better place. But the alarming data about diversity and representation in the industry has served as an urgent call to action for us to do better,” says Andi Owen, president and CEO of Herman Miller. “In our early stages of research on how to best address the underrepresentation of Black designers, it was immediately clear that we could not make substantial and lasting change alone.” Member organizations include 2×4, Adobe, Architecture Plus Information (A+I), Aruliden, Civilization, Collins, Dropbox, Fossil Group, Freeman, fuseproject, Gap Inc., Knoll Inc., Levi Strauss & Co, Pentagram, Stamen Design, Studio 0+A, Wolff Olins, and Work & Co.