As part of NYU's Start Up Week, join us for a talk from Rafael Sergio Smith of IDEO.org discussing unconscious bias and its effects on both everyday interactions as well as its institutional and systemic impacts. This talk is intended to help designers and design enthusiasts better understand the complexities of unconscious bias and unpack how design, technology and entrepreneurship can be used to mitigate its negative influences. To frame the conversation, two design studios — Project Inkblot and Matter-Mind Studios — will share case studies from their work in using design to address unconscious biases.

Rafael Sergio Smith focuses on product and systems design for winning ideas from IDEO.org’s Amplify program, a five-year program funded by the UK Department for International Development to make international aid more collaborative and human-centered. A designer and social entrepreneur with experience tackling challenges from emergency shelters in disaster zones to agricultural systems in rural India and Africa, his work ranges from physical products to software applications or systems.

Project Inkblot is a program design consultancy. We use our Design for Diversity™ methodology to build inclusive campaigns, media and services for organizations and businesses.

Matter-Mind Studios is composed of Doremy Diatta, Lillian Tong and Colleen Doyle, who bring a variety of various research methods, design practices, and experience working in diverse professional domains. Our collective experience allows us to deliver high quality, Emotion-Centered Design research and strategy.