Designing with Purpose

By RJ Mao

During my time as a student working on the Dear Digital Equity project, I was given the opportunity to interview Charlotte Antoine, an advocate for digital equity whose work revolves around providing equal broadband internet access to older adults, people with disability, BIPOC communities, and people living in rural communities. Her work with the Mayor’s Council on African American Elders (MCAAE) has given me a greater understanding of how digital equity and design can correlate. Striving for equity is essential, and it all begins with providing equal access.

A key concept I have been developing in my own work is designing with a purpose. Originally, I felt like I was creating projects with no end goal in mind, only to practice my skills and present cool designs. I wanted to truly find a person within my work, and digital equity sparked it. During our cohort’s digital equity project, my definition of design evolved into a developed version of what I treated it as before. Working on multiple aspects of the project, my perception of design widened, and I have increased my capabilities in all aspects of design.

As we have progressively learned more strategies and methods to employ our work efficiently and effectively, we never forget the true purpose of our work. Every aspect of design revolves around equity, no matter which field, we create for the purpose of accessibility and usability. Creating clear concepts and flows, our work must provide a simple and efficient navigation path for those who lack the proper tools and education to utilize the internet.