KUUMBA - MFA Thesis

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MFA THESIS PROCESS





AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN DESIGN


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CONTENTS

01 BACKGROUND

02 RESEARCH

03 DEVELOPMENT

04 DELIVERABLES

A History On Diversity

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Why is it a Problem?

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How Can Design Help?

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Insights

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Strategy

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Materials Matrix

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Asking Questions About Diversity

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Making Connections

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Personas

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Focus Group/Interviews

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Developing the Name Kuumba

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Kuumba Logo Development

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The Color Guide of Kuumba

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Kuumba Type Guide

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Knowledge Book

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Kuumba Mentoring App

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The Faces of Design Event and Exhibition

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“YEARS

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have passed, and the black designer is still looking for solutions to a lack of visibility —Cheryl D Miller

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A History On Diversity

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Why is it a Problem?

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How Can Design Help?

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Insights

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Strategy

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Materials Matrix

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When it comes to design, there is a big perception issue amongst many. I want to help clear those misconceptions.


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A HISTORY ON DIVERSITY

Just like most kids growing up, I wanted to be a teacher, nurse, and doctor. It wasn’t until high school where I started showing more of an interest in fine arts—drawing and painting. I did not think you could be anything other than an art teacher and if you tried then you would be a “starving artist.” In other words, you would not make a decent living being an artist and you would have to have another source of income. My family was supportive with my goals and whatever career I decided to go into. They weren’t artist of any kind so they could not give me any guidance or a glimpse at what it is like trying to enter the field as a woman of color. However, their support helped me declare a major in Visual Communications at Stockton University in New Jersey. My first year in college, I was ready to become an artist, still not sure what kind of art. Having to take almost every form of art you can think of—painting, drawing, photography, graphic design, sculpting, interactive media—as well as other courses— math, history, helped me narrow down what I wanted to do once I received my degree. Going into my design classes was a bit discouraging; I was the only woman of color in some of my classes. Also, my instructors would not mention anyone—man or woman— who was a person of color and who was a designer. I would ask myself, is there a reason for this? Do we even exist in the industry? Where are all the women? I would look up phrases like “black artists” or “black designers” and not many show up.

My confidence about becoming a designer started to decline. I did not thing I would make it and my grades and work started to show my discouragement. My family was still there. However, I believe they did not understand what I was feeling because they weren’t in the art or design industry. Fast forward to my graduate career, things have changed, but not by much. I and still the only African American woman in class. I do however, have more confidence about becoming a designer and stepping foot into the industry.

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According to AIGA’s Design Census 2017, African Americans make up 3.4% of the industry African Americans make up about 14% of the United States total population


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I had to do tons of research. I had to talk with individuals, read articles and books. I found that the number of African Americans in design has increased each year by small numbers. According to AIGA’s Design Census 2017, only 3.4% of the American population are African American. With the number of African American women being about half. Why is this so low? There are many answers and depending on who you ask, you will receive a different one each time. If you ask me, I would say a lack of proper design knowledge and education, a lack of exposure and accessibility to design, and a lack of programs about design and designers. It starts with education.

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DIVERSITY:

the art of thinking independently together. —Malcolm Forbes


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WHY IS THERE A PROBLEM? The design industry has always been a white male dominated field. Yes, there are women designers. However, the ones you hear about most are Paula Scher, Jessica Walsh, and Ellen Lupton. Where is the diversity? Where are the African American women? There are African American women in the design industry. In fact, there have been women in the industry for years. However, there are many problems when it comes to diversity within the design industry. One, there aren’t many African American women in design as owners or part of a team and two, African American women aren’t at the forefront in the field. That leads me to problem three, design isn’t seen as a profitable or worthy field to have as a career. These problems can have many effects that are both physical and emotional. With the lack of diversity, companies do not catch things that may be seen as stereotypical or racist. Young African American women may not choose design as a career or if they do, they may start to feel underrepresented, misunderstood and decide on a different career path.

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HOW CAN GRAPHIC DESIGN HELP MAKE A CHANGE? HOW WILL MY IDEAS BE DIFFERENT?


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OPPORTUNITIES TO USE DESIGN MAKE A CHANGE Yes, there are many companies who have diversity and inclusion programs, as well as many African American men and women who are working to make design more diverse. However, these individuals and companies ideas and strategies are similar but different in many ways. I need to come up with something that is different from those who have tackled this topic before me. Through various forms of research, interviews and surveys, I have came up with viable opportunities that I could focus on.

RESEARCH Through research I found that the main focus is on adults of color, including Latino and other marginalized individuals or all youths of color. There is not a lot of talk just about African American women in design.

SURVEYS/INTERVIEWS In surveys as well as interviews I have conducted, there were many people who only knew of fashion designers or local musicians of color. However, there were designers of color that I reached out to whom had a few women designers who they were inspired by and who helped with their decisions to become designers.

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The knowledge that you’re not alone—that someone has walked this path before and made a success of it— is a time old solution to feeling out of place

—Anoushka Khandwala


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INSIGHTS AND STRATEGIES Topic: African American women in Design Outcome: Increase the number of African American women in the Design Industry Audience: African American women, 17–25 who are thinking about their careers Keywords: underrepresented, inclusive, empowered, confident

Young African American women have a lack of knowledge about design, designers and the benefits of diversity.

Educate young African American women about design by combining information gathered from interviews, focus groups, etc.

Young African American women have a lack of accessibility and exposure to design, resources and mentors.

Provide a place for young African American women to go to nurture their creativity, receive support and find inspiration from others.

Young African American women have a lack of programs to get and keep them interested in design.

Provide programs for young African American women to spur their interest in design.


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DELIVERABLES Design materials that showcase and tell the stories of African American women designers and their work. _ Poster series _ Biannual publication _ App section

Biannual Publication

App Section

Develop a place where young African American women can find and use design resources, as well as meet with industry professionals. _ App _ Meetups

Meetups

App

Create programs and events where young African American women can increase their knowledge about design and designers in an engaging environment. _ Interactive exhibit/event and workshops _ Contests _ App section _ Exclusive merchandise

Exhibit/Event/Workshops

App Section

Exclusive Merchandise Contests

Poster Series


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Asking Questions About Diversity

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Making Connections

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Personas

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Focus Group/Interviews

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ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY Many questions have surfaced from my personal experience on my design journey. I had wondered if people asked the same questions and how they answered those questions. There may be cases where there is no definite answer to any of these proposed questions.


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1.

What is diversity?

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Will there be more young women of color in the graphic design industry if they see more African American women designers?

3.

Do you think the main issue is there are not many African American women in graphic design?

4.

How does influence relate to inspiration?

5.

Who benefits from showcasing African American women in graphic design?

6.

Is there a need for diversity in the graphic design industry?

7.

What is meant by “treating the problem at different parts along the journey”?

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Is the main issue the lack of diversity in the graphic design industry?

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Is AIGA’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force an example of moving in the right direction?

10. Would you say having podcasts and other media outlets that focus on women of color is necessary? 11.

Is there another way to address this problem?

12. Are children affected by who and what they see in the media? 13. Would you assume there is one problem and one solution to lack of diversity in the graphic design industry?


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Is there a need for diversity in the graphic design industry?

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14. Do you believe the problem is not as serious as it was about thirty years ago? 15. Why would you assume there is no need for diversity? 16. Does the “glass ceiling” have anything to do with the lack of visibility African American women face in the design industry? 17. Are your reasonings based off of observations or opinions? 18. Can we assume that people and organizations are being more vocal about diversity and we just don’t notice it? 19. Is there any credible sources to support the claim that students who are exposed to art will develop an interest? 20. Is there someone who has similar views and questions? 21. What is the reason behind your belief that there is a lack of female diversity in design? 22. Are the reasons this topic exist logical? 23. What is missing that needs to be addressed? 24. Why do you think people believe there is a lack of female presence in the industry? 25. If you were presented with facts and figures that oppose your view, would you change your mind?


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What is missing that needs to be addressed?

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What is something that must happen in order for diversity to no longer be an issue?


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26. Do you have evidence to support the claim that children aspire to be someone if they see them in media and magazines? 27. Did your childhood upbringing have any affect on your belief that their is a lack of African American female presence in design? 28. Is there another way to look at this problem? 29. How can you justify the problem to someone who isn’t sure one exists? 30. What are some ways we can get more African American females in the industry? 31. Could you answer an objection that large design firms make towards an increase of diversity within their design firm? 32. What would make someone disagree with you? 33. Did anyone see this problem another way? 34. How would the majority respond? Why do you think that is? 35. How would international students respond? Why do you think that is? 36. What is something that must happen in order for diversity to no longer be an issue? 37. Why have you approached this issue from the perspective of a potential designer as opposed to the perspective of a industry professional?

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Why is addressing diversity in the graphic design industry important?


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38. Can we assume you believe it starts with educating our youth? 39. What would someone who disagree with you say? 40. What is the probability the number of African American females showcased would increase? 41. As a result do you think more young children of color will pursue a design career? 42. If someone was to dispute the evidence, how would you respond? 43. If someone was to publicly bash you and your work, would that stop you from continuing with your research? 44. How would you handle someone saying your research is unethical, biased, or racist? 45. Would Maurice Cherry state the problem differently? 46. Is this an original idea? 47. Was diversity in graphic design always an issue? 48. Is this issue easy to solve or is there a long way to go? 49. Why is addressing diversity in the graphic design industry important? 50. How would Cheryl D Miller solve this problem?

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If you NEVER see somebody who looks like you or somebody that you can relate to, you may not realize how it affects you. But overtime it does affect you. —I See Pixels

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MAKING CONNECTIONS

SYNTHESIZING ALL INFORMATION I GATHERED I gathered all the information that has been flowing around about diversity, African American women, and design. This information was gathered from various sources: interviews, focus groups, watching and reading.


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Strength lies in differences, not in similarities. —Stephen R. Covey


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STRENGTH

The more information and knowledge about design and designers that exist, the more strength and courage young designers want to pursue their area of design.


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ADVOCATE

There are designers who are advocating for more diversity. It has caused some organization to hire more women of color.

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The design industry is male-dominated. You will see few women of color on executive boards, design teams and even in classrooms.

DIVERSE


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Design books, as well as organizations, fail to acknowledge women of color who have contributed to design.

ACKNOWLEDGE

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Having mentors and family who support you and your dreams of being a woman of color in the industry is crucial for your growth.

SUPPORT


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POTENTIAL

Mentors help women of color reach their full potential when they start doubting themselves and their work.

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EMPOWERED

Seeing women of color being recognized for their accomplishments will make you feel empowered to continue doing the best you can.


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INTIMIDATED

When a young woman of color shows interest in design as oppose to any other career field they may feel intimidated based of the reactions of others around them.

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Women of color have a lot of creativity that tends to be put on the back-burner because they aren’t seen as capable of doing great work.

CREATIVITY


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There are more questions being asked as to why there aren’t many women of color in design. People are starting to come up with suggestions as to how to increase diversity.

CONVERSATION

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Groups, organizations and meetups have been created as a way to bring designers of color together. There are even a few located here in the Bay Area.

UNITY


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CONFIDENCE

Even though there is a lack of diversity in design, many women of color have the confidence to becoming a successful designer. This could be due to family, mentors, teachers, etc.

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UNEQUAL

At times, women of color aren’t given the same treatment or respect as their male counterparts. They may start to feel as if they are lower than those around them.


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Women of color in design aren’t highly represented in design firms, classrooms, media, reading materials and even museums.

UNDERREPRESENTED

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PERSPECTIVE

Having more women of color in design can bring more perspectives and ideas to the table.


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If you see an image of a women of color who has designed something we use often or have seen before, some people cannot tell you who they are or anything else they may have created.

RECOGNITION

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Workshops and conferences are becoming more inclusive and are containing more people of colors as main speakers. However, there is still a long way to go.

INCLUSIVE


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CHANGE

The industry is changing and more women of color are becoming designers.

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Keywords

As a result, I narrowed my topic down to 4 keywords. These words were be used as the basis to design my visual system and more.

UNDERREPRESENTED

This is seen as one of the major problems. African American women are not as well represented in design as they should be.

INCLUSIVE

African American women are becoming more involved in everything that is design. They have careers in design firms, are starting their own businesses and are being asked to speak at conferences.

EMPOWERED

The goal of Kuumba is to make young African American women feel more empowered to make a difference.

CONFIDENT

Kuumba also aims to make young African American women feel more confident about exploring their creativity and careers in design.


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PERSONAS

WHY ARE PERSONAS NEEDED? Personas help you look at your project through the eyes of others and understand their role in the design process. Personas are created when you have enough findings from your research. They might even be an amalgamation of some of the folks you’ve had real-life contact with. Each end of the spectrum contains extreme archetypes who will fall outside the target spectrum. It is important to define where the “tipping point” lies. In a persona, you hope to get a sense of how this person interfaces with my project by touching on a few key things: Who, what and why?


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In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength. —Maya Angelou


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Name: Monae B Age: 25 Gender: Female Occupation: Graphic Design Major Income: $10,ooo Ethnicity: African American Location: San Francisco, CA

Wants to learn more about African American Designers

Believes there should be more diversity in the industry

Wants to see more effort from design firms

Wished she learned about African American women designers in school

“This is a topic that needs to be addressed. Growing up I did not hear or learn about African American designers. I thought they didn’t exist.”

Name: Carol S Age: 45 Gender: Female Occupation: Teacher Income: $20,ooo Ethnicity: Puerto Rican Location: Palm Springs, CA

Looking to teach her students graphic design basics

Her favorite designers are women and minorities

Is looking to expand her knowledge and to teach her findings to her students

She wants books, apps, etc. that have been designed by minority designers

“My students should know about every designer in the world, whether African American descent or not. I want them to go into the world knowing they can be anything they want.”


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Name: Dave W Age: 45 Gender: Male Occupation: Graphic Designer Income: $48,ooo Ethnicity: African American Location: Oakland, CA

Wants more diversity at design conferences

Constantly looking for new talent to work with

Wants to see more African American designers on executive boards

He believes women designers have many things they can bring to the table

“The design industry is made up of people from different backgrounds. There are many great designers out there. The design community and world needs to know.”

Name: Tiffany E Age: 35 Gender: Female Occupation: Mother Income: $10,ooo Ethnicity: African American Location: Los Angeles, CA

Her children are interested in art

She wants them to know about African American designers in every art field

Wants her children to be happy with whatever career they decide to pursue

Wants her children to learn everything they can while they are still young

“When I was growing up it wasn’t common to see African Americans in art, design or media. I now want my children to know they can be anything they want to be.”

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Name: Zhang Wei Age: 21 Gender: Male Occupation: Art Student Income: $10,ooo Ethnicity: Chinese Location: Santa Monica, CA

Interested in other cultures and designs

Looking for more inspiration for his work

Wants to learn about designers of African Descent

He is interested in Diversity and Inclusion Taskforces and organizations

“When I came to this country I didn’t know what I wanted to be. It was an African American woman who introduced me to art.”

Name: Michael M Age: 59 Gender: Male Occupation: Museum Curator Income: $30,ooo Ethnicity: Caucasian Location: Berkley, CA

Needs to expand his artist network for exhibitions

He wants to have a new exhibit every week for Black History Month

Wants to include more women designers in his exhibits

Looking to hire more women in his museum for their ideas, beliefs, and opinions

“I’m looking to expand my network and increase the traffic flow through the museum. I think showing work from more African American women is the way to go.”


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Name: Johnny J Age: 40 Gender: Male Occupation: Photographer Income: $20,ooo Ethnicity: Caucasian Location: Richmond, CA

Wedding and event photographer

Does the occasional photo shoot for people

Understands why people are asking for more diversity but doesn’t think it pertains to him

He does occassionally photograph African American Designers

“ I mostly photograph weddings and big events. I will occasionally do photo shoots for people. I do not go out of my way to look for more diversity for my photographs.”

Name: Victoria G Age: 60 Gender: Female Occupation: Creative Director Income: $40,ooo Ethnicity: African American Location: Sonoma, CA

Creative director for a design firm in California

Has final say over who the firm does business with

All of her clients are minority owned businesses and designers

Looks for new clients everyday

“My firm is all about diversity and inclusion. I make sure I look for minority candidates for every position I have available.”

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INTERVIEWS/ FOCUS GROUPS/ SURVEYS GAINING VALUABLE INSIGHTS Interviews, focus groups, etc. helped me gain valuable information that can help clear any confusion I may have and can help to steer me in a direction that I may have been uncertain about.


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FOCUS GROUP Trying to put together multiple focus groups was a bit tough. I had to change the date and time based off of my schedule and my target audience schedule. Because everyone was busy, I had about six different dates, most of which fell through for various reasons. Finally, the focus group happened. I asked attendees to bring a photo of an African American female designer and a work of art that inspires them. The results were a bit under whelming. Those who attended the focus group, did not bring a thing with them. When asked, the response was the same—“I do not know any African American women or anything they have done that inspires me.”

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FOCUS QUESTIONNAIRE This is the questionnaire I asked my participants to fill out at the start of the focus group. We went over their answers later, and the answers did not come as a surprise to me. Which gave us something to discus at length. Everyone left feeling a bit more understanding.

Questions *Please answer honestly and to the best of your ability

What is your name, age, ethnicity and occupation?

Do you know any women of color in the design industry? Yes

No

Can you name any? Yes

No

If so, listen them below:

Why do you think you can or cannot name any women of color in design?


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If you were able to list a few designers, how did you learn about these women?

Should students learn about these women in school, colleges, or universities? Why or Why Not? Yes

In your opinion, What are some ways to combat this issue?

Who benefits from a more diverse industry?

Do you think design firms and organizations, like AIGA are doing enough to make more women of color interested in design?

No

Will learning about women of color in design at an early age increase the number of women who pursue a design career? Yes

Yes •

Do you have anything to add to this topic—questions, insights, facts, etc?

Would like to stay updated with my progress in regards to this topic?

No

Why is addressing diversity in graphic design important?

Yes •

No

Why do you think there is a lack of diversity in the design industry?

Would you be willing to attend another focus group and/or interview at a later date? Yes

No

No

If so please leave your contact information. Phone: Email: Other:

Tha n k You !

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PARTICIPANTS My focus group was a little different than expected. My participants weren’t in my target audience. This was not a set back, was able to get useful information from everyone involved. I am forever grateful for their honesty and help.

Eve W Design student

Chan A Design student


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Mina A

John W

Design student

Security Guard

Carlos P

Fairy S.

Sales Associate

Design student

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Diversity can lead to social and innovative changes in design. —Chan A

Chan A Design student


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It brings different ideas and perspectives to the table —Carlos P

Carlos P Sales Associate

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Joi B. 25 Mother of 3 year old

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I want my daughter to know there are endless possibilities for her.

KNOWLEDGE

CHILD

I am not completely familiar with the words, graphic design. I have to look up the words every time I hear them. What does a designer or graphic designer do? How do they make a living? So I do not know many women who are successful in any design field. It is even less when it comes to women of color. In terms of design, I initially think about fashion design and interior design.

I want my daughter to believe she can be anything she wants to be. I want to learn all that I can to teach and help her when she needs it. I want my daughter to know there are endless possibilities for her. If she wants to become an artist, I will support her. If I need to do some homework myself and give her different ideas, I will. There will be photos of black women in different professions throughout my house if I have to. She will get tired of seeing them.

PORTRAYAL When I do see women of color, they are being portrayed negatively. We are seen as being loud, mean and angry and that is not true. Women of color go through a lot and when we speak on it, people see it as us being angry for no reason. Advertisements just started to show more people of color. They even show multiracial families and children more.


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Rachel S. 22 Hair Stylist

I love to be creative. I want others to follow their passions, even if they do not become a hair stylist or creative.

KNOWLEDGE

FUTURE

I have heard of the term graphic design before, but I vaguely know what they do. They make posters and other things, I’m not sure. I am curious however. I wonder if they are who I go to if I want to create a website for my business. I have been thinking about starting my own hair salon and do not know who to go to for my designs or branding. I want something unique and not computer generated. It has to have feeling and passion behind it.

I want my daughter to believe she can be anything she wants to be. I want to learn all that I can to teach and help her when she needs it. I want my daughter to know there are endless possibilities for her. If she wants to become an artist, I will support her. If I need to do some homework myself and give her different ideas, I will. There will be photos of black women in different professions throughout my house if I have to. She will get tired of seeing them.

PORTRAYAL I am tired of seeing women of color on reality tv shows—Love and Hip Hop, Basketball Wives, etc. They are on television acting ratchet and extra. People always think women of color act like that because that is all they see in the media and on the internet. We need more women of color at different ages acting civilized and like they are regular human beings.

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P I W


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P I W

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I’m looking to expand my network and increase the traffic flow through the museum. I think showing work from more African American women is the way to go.

P I W


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P I W


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P I W

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Developing the Name Kuumba

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Kuumba Logo Development

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The Color Guide of Kuumba

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Kuumba Type Guide

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HOW I DECIDED ON THE NAME KUUMBA


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NAMING


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There are pages and pages of possible names for my thesis. The chosen name had to be perfect. It had to represent diversity, inclusion, and grab and keep the attention of my audience.

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FINAL NAME

Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah). It is a Swahili word that means “creativity.� It is also the sixth day of Kwanzaa. Besides the literal meaning of the word, I chose it because not everyone has heard the word or has ease with pronouncing it. It is meant to grab your attention from the very beginning. It is meant for the user to research the name and to embrace who they are as an individual and as a creative.


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LOGO DEVELOPMENT


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Once the name was decided on, it was time to develop the logo. I attempted various combinations of shapes, colors, symbols and letter case. I did not use any serifs in my development because they do not represent the idea or feeling behind my topic.

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KUUMBA COLOR GUIDE

CMYK 50/70/80/70

CMYK 15/24/49/0

HEX #3C2415

HEX #D9BC8D

RGB 59/34/19

RGB 218/189/141

CMYK 27/28/30/0 HEX #BCAFA9 RGB 188/175/169


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These are the colors that must be used when designing any product, deliverable, etc. You can also use black and white in necessary cases where any combination of the color palette deems the product illegible.

CMYK 71/31/31/1

CMYK 91/87/44/49

HEX #5090A1

HEX #212140

RGB 80/144/161

RGB 33/33/64

CMYK 61/21/26/0

CMYK 25/14/23/0

HEX #66A6B4

HEX #C0C8C0

RGB 102/166/180

RGB 192/200/192

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KUUMBA TYPEFACE

The chose typeface for Kuumba is Acumin Pro. It was Designed by Robert Slimbach, Acumin Pro is a sans serif font family. This typeface has ninety styles and was published by Adobe. Acumin is a versatile sans-serif typeface family that is equally at home in text and headline settings. It’s especially suitable for use in information design and anywhere a clean, modern aesthetic is needed. This original design brings a subtle balance to the architectural and modular form central to the neo-grotesque tradition.

ACUMIN PRO


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Acumin Pro Light

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_+[]{}

Acumin Pro Regular

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_+[]{}

Acumin Pro Italic

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_+[]{}

Acumin Pro Bold

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_+[]{}

Acumin Pro ExtraCondensed Black

A a Bb C c D d Ee F f G g Hh I i J j K k L l M m Nn O o Pp Q q R r S s T t Uu V v W w Xx Yy Zz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()_+[]{}

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Creativity means to perform acts that leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. —Dr. Maulana Karanga


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Knowledge Book

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AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN DESIGN (knowledge book)

KNOWLEDGE BOOK This is a book designed to be inspirational and educational for young African American women and their families and everyone who reads this publication. The book serves as a starting point to urge young African American women to pursue a design career or even consider it as an option. If you read or skim through the pages, you will find there are a number of African American women who work in various parts of the design industry. They are all at different stages in their career; just beginning or years into their design career.


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KUUMBA MENTORING APP

PURPOSE This app is made to connect young African American female designers, inspiring designers with female design professionals. When using this app, you can meet—virtual or face-to-face, talk and receive advice from other users. This app was designed to help boost confidence and connect with those who have been or are in the same place you are in. You can post, message and comment on users posts.


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THE FACES OF DESIGN (event and exhibition)

PURPOSE This event is to introduce design to young women of color in a hands-on experience. Attendees can hear from women who are designers at various stages in their career. There will also be a chance to find a mentor and design your own work of art. This event has been designed to filter curiosity and give attendees an experience they will remember. The goal is to change at least one person’s mind about design.


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POSTERS


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PROGRAM

P I W


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Find and connnect with a mentor

If you are thinking about design as a career, there are a number of women who are looking to give advice, tips, or whatever you need. You may leave the event with a new mentor to keep in touch with.


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MENTORSHIP GONE VIRTUAL


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DESIGN WITH MS JULIA

During one of the breakout sessions, you can design a piece of art alongside designer and design instructor, Ms Julia. She will show you the ins-and-outs of the tools she uses to design for her clients. The pieces you create will get sent to a printer to be exhibited in the gallery on the last day of the event. Each attendee will be able to see their work displayed with pieces created by design professionals who were and were not at the event and have the chance to take it home with them.


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INCREASINGDIVERSITY.COM


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THANK YOU


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Thank you everyone who have supported me on this journey. It would not have been possible without you. Thank you to the incredible women who have been willing to talk with me and graciously let me use their work.

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Role models, as well as providing relatable representation, can act as mentors or colleagues with which to form a community.

—Anoushka —Anoushka Khandwala Khandwala


AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN DESIGN

THESIS PROCESS BOOK DESIGNER Daviel Byrd INSTRUCTORS Wioleta Kaminska Christine George Phil Hamlett increasingdiversity.com





I N C R E A S I N G D I V E R S I T Y. C O M


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