Keynote: Understanding design’s relationship with power means rethinking what good design means

Conventional design has principles for what good is, from luminaries like Dieter Rams, but when the design work serves non-profit organizations instead of business organizations, we need a new way to evaluate what good is. Form and function aren’t going to cut it when you’re working with issues like recidivism, systemic racism, or the social determinants of health. Whether you’re a changemaker inside of a non-profit or a for-profit organization, designing change is hard to do, especially when the change involves people and their behaviors.

About George

George co-founded Greater Good Studio to use design to heal, to be just, to be restorative.

Previously, he spent seven years at a global innovation firm before being hired as the first human-centered designer at the Chicago Transit Authority. Since founding Greater Good he guides clients and teams through complex projects that honor reality, creates ownership, and builds power. He speaks frequently across the US and internationally. George holds the position of Full Professor (Adj) at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.