Impact Designers: Future of Positive Social Change
What is Social Impact Design? Very few have ever heard of this term, yet it is a concept that is becoming increasingly vital.
Many professionals who work in the nonprofit sector would consider themselves agents of positive social change. The 501(c)(3) nonprofits are the organizations that create services and programs for serving communities. These include homeless shelters, youth development organizations, sustainability agencies, and many other categories. Without these organizations, many people would not have their immediate needs met for surviving daily challenges. It is important that the nonprofit sector thrives and is able to provide quality services for communities.
In the private sector, coronations have evolved to include corporate social responsibilities into their strategies for growth and development. One major example is the implementation of the LEED certification. LEED is a rating system in the created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building. This certification was created to encourage more sustainable design which affects all sectors and even home office workers!
Designing positive social change is a complicated process. Many of the systems in place that produce, distribute, and manage waste are not safe for the environment or the people who live near the systems. The laws become more complicated as well as geo-political boundaries play a large part in how businesses can move forward with harmful systems. This is where Social Impact Design professionals come in.
Impact designers are the future of social innovation and positive community development. Future generations will need to understand the complexities for environmental, social, and economical issues that affect the planet. Utilizing design principles in the nonprofit and private sectors will enable professionals to effectively identify and address gaps in community development and align skills with leaders across all sectors to build new social systems that improve lives.
The future awaits.
Tyandrah Ashley
The Creative Rebel
