Community-Driven Design Collective

The CDD Collective is a space to share insights and tools that strive towards community-driven design (CDD) — an approach to design thinking that is initiated by the local expertise of community members. To learn more about CDD, see our piece “What is CDD?” on the home page.

Thanks in part to the growing adoption of human-centered design, the development of products, services and systems is increasingly…

Jennifer Taylor

Sep 7, 2020

Bridging “community-driven design” with other terms

Community-driven design can be defined just as it sounds: contrasting design efforts that are community-informed and practitioner-led (by…

Jennifer Taylor

Sep 9, 2020

I came for the beaches, but found something else.

A canyon trail, stretching from UC San Diego’s Earl Warren College to Genessee Avenue, is one of the things that brought me joy during my…

Chenyang Dawn Ye

Sep 10, 2020

To build education pipelines for early career talent, start with mentorship

Part of a special story series for San Diego Design Week 2020

Jennifer Taylor

Sep 8, 2020

Brian McInnis

Apr 20, 2022

“Ask Me Anything” about Self-Management

Academics are trained experts in their fields, but many struggle to find time for family, friends, and other commitments beyond work.

Brian McInnis

Sep 1, 2021

“Ask Me Anything” about Lab Management

Academics are trained experts in their fields, but that training rarely includes a formal education in the skills necessary to manage and mentor people.

Intro: Cultivating Culture at the UCSD Design Lab

The Design Lab recently hosted a series of “Ask Me Anything” discussions to explore aspects of our own culture. Here’s what we learned.

Lucy Cummings

Sep 25, 2020

Leveraging Lived Experience as a Designer

“You are not the user.” If you’re a designer, you have probably heard this many times…

Lucy Cummings

Sep 10, 2020

Poor Public Transportation is a Barrier to Opportunity

As a former UC San Diego undergrad, I acutely remember the frustration I had towards the poor public transportation system. For my full 4 years, I frequently had to rely on my friends with cars in order to be able to access stores like…

Welcome to the CDD Collective

Bridging “community-driven design” with other terms

I came for the beaches, but found something else.

To build education pipelines for early career talent, start with mentorship

“Ask Me Anything” about Self-Management

Academics are trained experts in their fields, but many struggle to find time for family, friends, and other commitments beyond work.

“Ask Me Anything” about Lab Management

Academics are trained experts in their fields, but that training rarely includes a formal education in the skills necessary to manage and mentor people.

Intro: Cultivating Culture at the UCSD Design Lab

The Design Lab recently hosted a series of “Ask Me Anything” discussions to explore aspects of our own culture. Here’s what we learned.

Leveraging Lived Experience as a Designer

Poor Public Transportation is a Barrier to Opportunity