Our history must not define or impede us from making positive steps towards our future. Yes, we need to acknowledge and address past wrong-doings and injustices, and we must also simultaneously maintain the ability to proactively search for more opportunities for improvement, awareness, and progression.

Our society is a community of designers who support one another and the industrial design profession at the same time. Our composition and value are strengthened by voices from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives … this must be reflected in every aspect of what we do. We want everyone who wishes to be a part of the IDSA community to feel that they can be. We want them to experience a culture where they feel appreciated and empowered to contribute to our success. We want everyone to feel that they belong and are valued for their participation.

In July of 2020 we established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (DEIC). This group of volunteers began work almost immediately by formulating ideas and recommendations that will create positive change across three spectrums:

• Increasing diversity and minority representation in IDSA’s core programming, events, leadership teams, membership, publications, partnerships, awards, and scholarships
• Developing new pathways and partnerships that will extend IDSA’s ability to support minority and low-income communities, and to increase access to industrial design education and professional opportunities
• Being a catalyst in transforming the industrial design industry so that it better reflects our diverse country and world, and to dismantle the structural racism and inequities that permeate design and our communities

IDSA has dedicated financial and operational resources towards helping the DEIC achieve their goals. Committing to and realizing their success will have a profound benefit that impacts so much more than just our organization alone. We want to demonstrate that institutional change is possible and we must lead by example.