DESIGN FOR DIVERSITY
Welcome to the Design for Diversity founder’s page here you will find details on the pledge, resources, updates on brands who have taken the
pledge and more.
Design for Diversity, The Pledge is a new initiative launched on 18th June 2020, by Rukmini Patel & Kate Watson Smyth writer of
Mad About the House blog.
The Pledge is a three-point Pledge covering, Visibility, Opportunity and Accessibility to help the design industry to become diverse. It is a first step to working towards a diverse design industry and giving brands, businesses and bloggers a guideline on areas they can work on.
The Pledge is symbolised by a sticker which is placed on your website /social media and clicks through to a page outlining the three elements of it. We also encourage businesses to add their own top line so that people can see the specific actions their business is taking.
People who see the sticker will know what it represents, that the door is open for opportunities for jobs, for suppliers etc. for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities.
DESIGN FOR DIVERSITY
I’m Rukmini Patel and together with Kate Watson-Smyth from award-winning blog Mad About the House we have launched Design for Diversity initiative.
After connecting with Kate on Instagram, we shared and echoed the voices that we heard following The Great Indoors Podcast and our blogs. After a few hours of brainstorming the Design for Diversity initiative,
The Pledge was born.
FOUNDERS
Offering a mentoring scheme within the interior stylist community.
Offering an annual bursary with an opportunity to launch a product with Blackpop who will then produce and market.
Offering to mentor young people entering the fashion/interiors world. Based in London.
There are many small businesses who have taken the Pledge and taken action into placing internships or mentoring programmes who we want to champion and share their wonderful initiatives. If you are a young designer and looking for an internship or mentor please do reach out to the below studios.
RESOURCES
The initiative is for brands, businesses, bloggers, influencers, interior designers
and stylists.
The Design for Diversity initiative can be endorsed by placing a sticker on your website, somewhere visible (more details on how to receive it below).
Along with the sticker we will provide you with The Pledge wording below to be placed on your website. We suggest to create a link from the logo which leads toThe Pledge wording.
It will be self-regulated. We are by no means a regulatory body and we ask brands to have a sensible and practical approach and to do the right thing.
We do not hold the power or the resources of an industry body who could enforce measures such as auditing. Specific targets which require revisiting involves some form of auditing which is generally carried out in regulated industries, of which the design industry is not.
Simply, sign up below!
we got the answers
got a question?
Simply complete the form below and we will provide you with stickers and examples of how you can adapt it to your business.
SIGN UP HERE
