sahibzada mayed, EDI '24Social Impact, Liberatory Design, Emancipatory Research
About
mayed is extremely passionate about exploring the intersections of design, community activism and social justice, creating avenues to uplift and serve minoritized populations. Committed to shifting the relationship between those who hold privilege to design and those impacted by it disproportionately, mayed seeks to adopt liberatory practices to collectively imagine just and equitable futures. His work focuses on dismantling normative structures in design that reinforce white supremacy, while critically reflecting on the impact design has on diverse communities. mayed believes that designers can transcend boundaries of what is possible, and describes their role as social changemakers and political actors.
Portfolio
Why EDI?
mayed is drawn to design innovation due to its versatile potential to drive social change and bring new ideas to life. They see design as a collective imaginary to dream and empower. The relational aspects of design and being in community with each other are what they strive for. mayed chose EDI because he is really excited to be part of a diverse cohort of aspiring designers that are committed to advancing human-centered practices. mayed seeks to harness the potential of transdisciplinary and intersectional work that draws from multiple disciplines and explore what possibilities emerge. He hopes to leverage design as a practice to engage in creative liberation and to build sustainable and community-led outcomes.
Education
BS, Liberatory Design Engineering & BS, Communication Studies, Northwestern University.
Experience
Intern & Consultant, The Institute for Anti-Racist Education Design Research Intern, Kinetic Seeds
