Design + Equity Seminar: Personal Positionality

With its first official year as an elective course offered by Harvey Mudd College at the Hive, we spotlight our Design and Equity Seminar course taught by Clinical Professor of Engineering and Sr. Director of the Hive, Asha Srikantiah. This unique seminar format brings together students passionate about exploring the intersection of design and social equity. Originally prototyped last year as a group independent study, this course emerged from student requests for an opportunity to dig deeper into how design might be a more inclusive and equitable practice. Inspired by both student interest and Asha’s commitment to rethinking design education, the course now serves as a full-credit option open to students across the 7Cs. With a curriculum built around collaborative exploration, students engage with diverse media, from readings and audio content to news articles and social media, fostering conversations that reflect, challenge, and expand their understanding of design. This year’s syllabus divides the course into three segments:

The first segment looks at “Personal Positionality,” and explores questions such as: How do our identities and inherent biases influence design? Why does the industry need more equitable, decolonial practices? The second segment focuses on “Foundations and Considerations,” through which students develop their own toolkit based on practices from fields including policy design, language justice, and disability studies. The final segment examines case studies, where students investigate real-world applications in various sectors, and analyze both the successes and limitations of equity-focused design practice.

The class emphasizes learning by reading, discussing, and making, and students are asked to design and execute three creative pieces throughout the semester. This approach encourages students to think critically about the implications of design choices, embracing the academic space to practice conscientious, context-aware design. If you have an interest in taking a step toward becoming part of a new generation of designers ready to bring impactful change to the industry, consider signing up for this course next fall!

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by Salina Muñoz