Our racial differences directly impact our in/ability to navigate a city. Joy Alise Davis—founder and CEO of Design+Culture Lab—takes a look at how design can be leveraged beyond capitalism and all-too-quick solutions to centuries-old problems.

In the wake of Rana Plaza’s devastating collapse, Eden vowed to end her relationship with fast fashion, and embark on a lifelong journey toward sustainability. She started with one (seemingly) simply question, “Who made my shirt?”

Developing a healthy relationship with AI begins with learning to respect its otherness. We stand to benefit most from this “non-human ally” when we’re willing to talk, and listen, to AI as something separate from ourselves.

Can a new paradigm — built on the simplicity and beauty of our own intestinal ecosystem — unite us, the land, and the animals we raise in a truly sustainable communion? One writer investigates.

How Marfa, Texas was “discovered” and “saved” by one man’s design. But what of its citizens who were born and raised on that land? Who were there well before the Chinati was even a glimmer on Donald Judd’s truck hood?

Nearly everything we make can be monetized. So why create one painting when you can sell 500 prints in your Etsy store? One writer takes a closer look at value, gatekeeping, and whether or not “doing what you love” is all that it’s cracked up to be.

The occupation of space and the act of using a camera intersect in a photographic exploration of empowerment by members of Portland’s homeless community.

From vegetable peelers to accessibility checklists, one writer takes a closer look at inclusive design and codes of conduct, and the thoughtful decisions behind them.

How one designer found and reclaimed his own identity in a sea of corporate messaging and commercial design work, by becoming an object of art himself.

Urban designers have been setting up shop in one of the most remote corners of Oregon — but what kind of impact are they having on the local culture and economy? And are their efforts actually a sign of greater opportunity and inclusion to come?

An update from the team that brought you the Portland Green Loop exhibition at the heart of this year’s Design Week Portland Headquarters.

In the virtual worlds we’re designing, some things easily translate, and some things just don’t. But what do we stand to lose in these alternate realities, if we disregard the ancient ways of seeing that still hold such valuable perspective?