22.02.24, 20:00, Design x Inclusivity, Sara De Bondt (BE) & Daniel Charny (UK) moderated by Anna Luyten (BE)

Can design be a catalyst for positive change and foster a more inclusive society? Design choices have a real impact on people’s cultural, social, economic, and political integration within society. In this Design Dialogue, Daniel Charny and Sara De Bondt shed their light on the vital connection between design and inclusivity. By sharing their expertise and insights, they delve into the multifaceted dimensions of inclusive design and explore its significance in shaping our future.

Inclusive design is centred around people. Individuals are not merely users of products and services. They are also active agents in decision-making, sense-making and change-making processes around design. To achieve true inclusivity, the design approach must extend beyond aesthetics and functionality. People’s physical, sensory, cognitive and affective factors must be considered in the design process, along with a broader technological, social, political, economic, environmental and cultural context in which they interact with things, other people, and the world. Such a holistic approach ensures that designs are not only visually appealing or functional, but also accommodate diverse human needs and abilities.

DANIEL CHARNY (UK)

Daniel Charny is a designer, educator and creative director recognised for a range of culturally significant projects from the Power of Making exhibition at the V&A museum to the global Maker Library Network and the award winning Fixperts learning programme. Alongside Dee Halligan, he co-founded Forth, a creative studio and Community Interest Company concerned with the new formats, models and spaces needed to support learning and engagement in a changing world. Active internationally, Charny advocates for design, creativity and making as essential tools to unlock a better future. He was awarded the Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education and is a Professor of Design at Kingston University. During his lecture, Charny will reflect on inclusive design through the lens of the Fixperts learning programme.

SARA DE BONDT (BE)

Sara De Bondt is a Belgian graphic designer, publisher, researcher and teacher. In 2008, she founded the publishing house Occasional Papers with Antony Hudek. She teaches at ECAL in Lausanne and KASK & Conservatorium / HOGENT and Howest in Ghent where she is doing a PhD in arts. She previously taught at Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art in London. De Bondt lectures regularly and was elected as a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale in 2017. In 2022, she published her most recent book, Off the Grid: Histories of Belgian Graphic Design, on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name she curated for Design Museum Gent. In 2022, she designed In Plain Sight for Wellcome Collection together with British architectural firm OMMX. This exhibition explored the different ways we see and are seen by others, and the different experiences of sighted, visually impaired and blind people.

Design Dialogues

Design x Inclusivity is part of the curated lecture series Design Dialogues organised by KASK & Conservatorium / HOGENT and Howest, and Design Museum Gent. Distinctive voices from the broad field of design are invited to reflect on the role and future of design in a changing world. Each Design Dialogue starts with in-depth presentations by the speakers around a specific theme, followed by a critical, moderated discussion and concludes with an open conversation between the speakers and the audience. Our mission: to provide engaging perspectives that could help us meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.