Presenting the Underrepresented

As Black History Month draws to a close, it's a great time to take a look at the website put together by Tim Hykes, a St. Louis based designer. The project, 28 Days of Black Designers, spotlights AIGA medalists like Sylvia Harris along with global designers like Rafael Smith whose career has focused on challenges related to poverty.Graphic design has a long history of being white male dominated, clearly lacking diversity in race, 86% of designers are Caucasian. Lack of diversity exists in gender, age, sexual identity, ability/disability, and location as well. In an article by Antoinette Carroll, Diversity & Inclusion in Design: Why Do They Matter?, Carroll discusses the interconnectedness of the world—in all its forms—and how important it is for innovation and subsequently, problem-solving, which is at the core of all design. Carroll's article goes on to state that by 2050 53% of the country will be people of color. It's vital that the design community openly embraces more diverse practitioners and retains them through inclusion.As Black History Month comes to a close, think about your role in presenting the underrepresented in the design world. You can start by celebrating and being inspired by these 28 designers.Sources:http://www.28blacks.com/http://www.aiga.org/profile?uid=209671http://www.aiga.org/diversity-and-inclusion-in-design-why-do-they-matter/https://www.subtraction.com/2017/02/23/28-days-of-black-designers/