“Inspiring.”

“A place where I can bring my true self.”

“A collective understanding that everyone’s voice has value.”

These are some of the ways our community members describe what safe spaces means to them. Cultivating safe spaces can be a formidable task during times of anxiety and fear as society grapples with a pandemic, systemic racial inequities, and violence in our communities.

In times when we greet each other through our screens, how do we create spaces where we can be our authentic selves? How might we make opportunities and experiences more accessible? How might we make safer spaces through design?

On April 22nd, Design Spaces partners with San Diego Experience Design (SDXD) and Design Forward Alliance (DFA) to present Seda Evis, Design Strategist, Director of Strategy at Birsel + Seck Design Studio and Designer-in-Residence at University of California San Diego’s Design Lab. We will explore methods of co-design so we can curate our spaces. We’ll look at design’s role in creating safer spaces, how products and services become artifacts of our experiences, and how design can impact communities at scale.

Join us for this free event to learn, connect and grow. If you’re able, please consider registering with a Donation ticket. Proceeds will benefit our non-profit partners: Design Forward Alliance, The Wildflower Initiative and Casa Familiar.

In registering for this event, you agree to abide by Design Spaces Code of Conduct.

Evening Agenda:

5:30 - Introduction and housekeeping

5:45 - Visualizing the co-design process | Design Forward Alliance

6:15 - Breakout rooms

6:30 - Regroup + Recap

6:45 - Networking

About Seda Evis, Design Spaces and SDXD:

Seda Evis is a design strategist and a creative business leader with extensive experience in technology, operations, planning, design and design research. Her superpower is systems thinking in experience design and her hybrid mind, combining creativity and analytics, strategy and design, left and right brain. Her work results in new markets, products and concepts, services and organizations, with a focus on human experience and insights in a range of industries — technology, consumer goods, education, industrial, aviation and automotive/mobility. Seda is a Designer-in-Residence at University of California San Diego’s Design Lab. She’s also a board member at Design Forward Alliance, a non-profit that promotes human-centered design as a tool to help advance San Diego as a premier city for business, education, and enjoyment.

SDXD fosters professional growth and connection for UX practitioners in San Diego and beyond. We regularly host events to spark inspiration, build community, and create impact. Join our community of 4,400 members and stay current on upcoming events on Meetup.

Design Spaces aims to amplify equitable innovation by designing spaces for more inclusive outcomes. We provide our members ways to enhance careers in the technology space with book clubs, workshops, speakers, networking and mentoring opportunities. Design Spaces values accessibility, consent, inclusion and generosity, and believes all people should have a safe space to learn, connect and grow. More about Design Spaces.