The history of decolonizing design is rooted in how Western design practices have historically dominated and marginalized indigenous, Black, and POC perspectives and lived experiences. Decolonization in the context of design is changing the way we think and exposing our societally biased design canon.
These key points will provide a foundation to what decolonization means for design and designers:
| Colonization |
To understand decolonization within design, we need to start with colonization. "Colonization" is rooted in indigenous peoples' experiences of oppression, the seizure of native resources, and the centering of Western ideology. |
| Postcolonial Theory |
The rise of postcolonial theory exposed the inherent power imbalances that exist in design theory. Design has been used as a tool of the colonizer that has imbued lasting impacts on what inherent value we put on objects, where they're from, and the materials used to make them. This critical approach created space to explore the impact of colonialism on cultures and societies. |
| Cultural Appropriation |
When a dominant culture takes elements from another culture and uses them in a way that is exploitative and disrespectful. Having a critical lens to the power dynamics of cultural appropriation is critical to the work of decolonizing design. Decolonizing design means an acknowledgement that a lot of the culture we've come to see as ours has actually been appropriated or stolen. |
| Indigenous Design Movements |
This movement seeks to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous design by actively incorporating Indigenous cultures, traditions, values, and communities. |
| Institutional Change |
Decolonizing within design means to address the design field at an institutional level in order to restore the cultures of Indigenous, Black, and People of Color communities that have been excluded from design. |
