People/Projects We emphasize people over projects. We build authentic relationships with organizations and communities. We facilitate conversations that involve people in every step of the design process and position lived experience as expertise.
Humility/Hubris We emphasize humility over hubris. We’re constantly learning—listening intently, observing deeply, and reflecting purposefully throughout the process together with people from different disciplines and life experiences.
Process/Product We emphasize process over product. We approach design with curiosity and meaningful engagement, seeing social and structural change as a long-term collaborative process, rather than a predetermined outcome.
Questions/Answers We emphasize questions over answers. We dig into the why, how and what of both qualitative and quantitative data to address the gaps in research and to elevate the voices of people most affected by problems.
Practice/Theory We emphasize practice over theory. We believe that in order to shift inequitable power dynamics, we must ground our work in place to generate insights and opportunities that can ultimately contribute to wider systems change.
Impact/Intent We emphasize impact over intent. We consciously embed methods of critique and self-reflection into our practice in order to hold ourselves, our process, and our partners accountable, and to inform more effective interventions.