Identity Design and Exhibition Design
Problem
The design industry is almost 90% white, and while diversity figures in the design industry have been said to be improving, it is clear reports, articles, anecdotes and my own first hand experience that the lack of black presence in creative roles in design is still far too small.
Just a handful of the many articles on the design industry's lack of diversity
Response
ToTheWorld as a concept began as a response the question "How could I create an experience that celebrates and empowers black designers in the industry on a public scale?" Thus the idea for a triannual design exhibition that would focus on featuring the work, experiences and influences of select black-british designers was formed.
Initial Research
To gain a perspective on the problem wider than just my own, various Black-British designers were interviewed with questions that ranged from their journey into the industry to what they have experienced thus far, and other topics. From the responses it became clear that there was a lack of adequate spotlight on black talent in the industry which often meant black designers were overlooked for roles/opportunities compared to their white counterparts. Another common theme was a general disconnect with the UK design scene.
Concept Development
Excerpts from the early development phase of project which involved high amounts ideation, visual research and development to determine what exactly ToTheWorld should represent and how it should go about doing it. For the purpose of creating an example of how ToTheWorld would work, a young black designer by the name of Ernest Wereko was contacted and with permission his work was used to populate the exhibition renders and also promotional material.
3D Development
A lot of care was taken in finding the best way to maximise the site that I had chosen as the prospective venue for the inuagural ToTheWorld exhibition. A key part of this development was building a sketch model in cardboard to get a better idea of scale and the flow of the exhibition.
Development of the Identity
Developing the identity centred around trying to avoid an aesthetic that felt too clean. Black culture and DIY have gone together for decades, with many black-british creatives making their own alternatives to already established platforms to showcase their art. There is a charm that comes with the task of doing things yourself, and TTW identity wanted to embrace that.
Exhibition visualization.
