Ana Mengote Baluca, IDSA

Founder & Creative Director, lowercase innovation

Ana is a designer based in NYC, intent on using design to build a more socially equitable world. Above everything else, her primary objective is to work on solutions that have the most potential in impacting our culture and society in a positive way. She is currently one of the leaders of IDSA’s inaugural DEI Council. She also serves as one of the co-chairs of the Publicity Committee of the Association of Filipino Scientists in America. She is experimenting with and strategizing meaningful products as the founder and creative director of lowercase innovation.

Activating Designers as Design Activists

Main Stage

Track 6

Thurs - Sept 23

9:00 am EDT

This presentation offers a quick list of actions for designers to take at every stage of their career to be active participants in design revolutions that are happening right now. It is meant to empower the audience to take design a bit more seriously by highlighting how our work builds the environment and culture around us.

We’ll start with a quick introduction and history on how design is a very social and impactful field and continue with a few case studies of designs that have changed the world. We’ll continue with an honest review of the state of the world at the moment and reflect on design’s contribution to making things worse or better. The main part of the presentation will be a series of action items that designers can implement in their practice and work environment that can hopefully ripple to bigger changes in our greater community.