Omari Souza is a professor of design and design research at Texas State University. Professor Souza was born in the Bronx, New York as a first-generation American and Jamaican descent. Professor Souza graduated from Kent State University as a first-generation college graduate with a Masters of Fine Arts in Design.
Professor Souza's research primarily revolves around what classes and majors students of color prefer and why. He then used this research to discover what the design industry can do to attract more students of color. In his research, Professor Souza found that students of color preferred social service majors like sociology and psychology. Three reasons for this were:
1) a professor left an impression on a young student
2) the student was drawn to the field because of personal trauma or
3) the student was seeking to help a disenfranchised group.
A theme that resulted from his research was perception.
The perception of the design field to students of color reflects commercial capitalism. When asked how we can change this perception, Professor Souza commented that it starts with design professors and organizations questioning what their social responsibility is and expressed concern that classrooms will not be filled in the coming years if this perception remains unchanged.
Professor Souza concludes that you must always first identify your XYZ; your topic of research, research method, and what you're attempting to understand. This will help you narrow your focus and lessen ambiguity in your work. He also emphasized the importance of involving the target community in designing the solution and that being ingrained in the community is best for the design process. While it is not without its flaws, design thinking puts people in a position to make people think more broadly.
Episode webpage: https://taylor.tulane.edu/design-thinking/hellopluriverse/omari-souza/
About Omari Souza:
https://www.finearts.txstate.edu/Art/faculty-staff/full-time/souza--o.html
https://twitter.com/omarisouza
https://www.linkedin.com/in/omari-souza-b483187/
https://www.instagram.com/omari.souza
S1: Ep30: Hello From the Pluriverse: Lesley Ann Noel
S1: Ep29: Hello From the Pluriverse: Laura Murphy
S1: Ep28: Hello From the Pluriverse: Kareem Collie
S1: Ep27: Hello From the Pluriverse: Tsai Lu Liu
S1: Ep26: Hello From the Pluriverse: Gisele Raulik Murphy
S1: Ep25: Hello From the Pluriverse: Mallie Faughnan
S1: Ep24: Hello From the Pluriverse: Marielle Ednalino
S1: Ep23: Hello From the Pluriverse: Glenn Fajardo
S1: Ep21: Hello From the Pluriverse: Julia Lang
S1: Ep 20: Hello From the Pluriverse: Lorenzo Hodges
S1: Ep19: Hello From the Pluriverse: Michael Lee Poy
S1: Ep18: Hello From the Pluriverse: Christina Harrington
S1: Ep17: Hello From the Pluriverse: Michele Washington
S1: Ep15: Hello From the Pluriverse: Maria de Mater O'Neil
S1: Ep16: Hello From the Pluriverse: Michael Bonnick
S1: Ep14: Hello From the Pluriverse: Debbie Estwick
S1: Ep13: Hello From the Pluriverse: Rebecca Otten
S1: Ep12: Hello From the Pluriverse: Alfredo Gutérrez Borrero
S1: Ep11: Hello From the Pluriverse: Terrence Moline
S1: Ep10: Hello From the Pluriverse: Renata Marques Leitāo
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Dear Alice | Interior Design
99% Invisible
The John Clay Wolfe Show
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Pride and Prejudice
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Nice Try!