My Work + Philosophy

Let’s face it. The way we’ve historically functioned is flawed. We emphasize the skills and opinions of experts who can’t comprehend or account for the interconnectedness of injustices, who pass policies disconnected to communities, and who have historically overlooked or sacrificed communities. And it’s not working. Communities are continuously facing hardship and burdens created by the systems that we’ve put in place. The way we are working must change, and that begins by listening, trusting, and elevating the people and lived/living experiences at the center. It means shifting power, shedding agendas, and truly entering a partnership of co-creation.

The way we make systems matter. The role of accessibility and inclusion cannot be overstated, for they open gateways to equity, justice, and diversity. Whether it’s local zoning laws that determine housing density or statewide energy programs that only benefit homeowners, the we invite and welcome “the public” to engage can set the stage for reform. Three-hour long meetings with no compensation, food, or breaks cannot continue. If we are to change the system*, we need to demonstrate how we value communities and shift power to them, with no strings attached.

*and ourselves to keep us accountable for our actions

My Journey

How does a designer become a facilitator? Simple, I care about communities. In my long rant below, I talk about the flaws of the Design discipline and how often, the designed world is so anthro-centric in a white-savior way. Over the past few years, I’ve realized that processes should not merely be about centering people, but creating a system that normalizes and celebrates power shifting to communities. Moreover, who are designers to figure out the needs of people or communities. We aren’t. Communities know what they need and a role of a designer may only be sparse. As a facilitator, I actively work to shift power, making myself not a gatekeeper, but a participant in conversations led by communities.

My Publications

Sanguinetti, Angela, Kelsea Dombrovski, and Suhaila Sikand. "Information, timing, and display: A design-behavior framework for improving the effectiveness of eco-feedback." Energy Research & Social Science 39 (2018): 55-68.

Sanguinetti, A., McMurry, R., Favetti, M., Huang, B., Sikand, S., & Dombrovski, K. (2018). Keeping track to stay on track for zero net energy: Modeling building and end use consumption targets for a ZNE community. Proceedings of American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy 2018 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.

Sanguinetti, Angela, Hannah Park, Suhaila Sikand, and Ken Kurani. "A Typology of In-Vehicle Eco-Driving Feedback." In Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation, pp. 979-992. Springer, Cham, 2017.

Sanguinetti, Angela, Andrew Kwon, Yitong Li, Vishal Chakraborty, Suhaila Sikand, Otavio Tarelho, Ying Chen, and Nina Amenta. "GreenFLY." In International Conference of Design, User Experience, and Usability, pp. 87-103. Springer, Cham, 2017.

My Inspiration

I’m inspired by so many things around me, whether it be the way a hummingbird pollinates flowers and contributes to an entire ecosystem, or the way a web experience can immerse oneself in an educational experience. Here’s a few just to start:

• Designers: Antionette Carroll, De Nicholas, Emily Pilloton, Renny Ramakers, Wolfgang Weingart, Paul Rand, Victor Papanek

• Photographers: Chris Burkard, Paul Nicklen, Mark Harrison, Ansel Adams.

• A graphical story creating awareness of virtual water.

• An exhibition discussing access and design.

• A kit for schools to inform kids about climate change interactively.

• A web experience bringing autism to life from multiple perspectives.

• An MRI experience that addressed sedation in young patients.

My Hot Takes: Design as a Discipline

I believe in human centered design, a philosophy that means design shouldn’t just be aesthetic, but should have a purpose to fulfill a need and center around people. At least, I used to believe in this.

Human-centered design is more than a philosophy, it’s a process, and it is this process that is flawed and misguided.

As a social impact and climate designer, I am grounded in community, equity, and sustainability. Unfortunately, human-centered design doesn’t always support these principles with the right intentions. Instead of seeing a problem in a community, let’s get invited to work with the community. Instead of interpreting people’s needs, let’s include them in the process. Human centered design implies a surface level engagement where the power of design remains with the designer, not the community.

These are not my intentions. I believe that communities should be at the forefront of process, have a clear stake in projects, and have power. “Designers are conduits of power,” in the words of Bryan C. Lee Jr., “…We amplify others’ power and if we aren’t careful, we are amplifying malicious power.” The designer is not the expert, merely a resource used through a process. The expert is a person with lived experiences relevant to the project. The expert is directly impacted by a project. The expert is a key decision maker in the process.

This takes on many names: equity design, community-based design, participatory design, and design justice. No matter the name, I design with communities, I design with intention.