IHCD Hosted Women in Design (WiD) for an Evening of Networking and Learning Around Inclusive Design

Submitted by anoopa on Mon, 10/07/2019 - 13:10

IHCD welcomed the Boston Society of Architects' Women in Design (WiD) for an evening of sharing our practice, methods and global vision of the central role of design in making the reality of diversity of ability, age and culture work and its power to enrich everyone’s experience. 

The event, part of WiD Wednesdays, took place on Wednesday, October 2, at IHCD's office in downtown Boston. The evening was a mix of informal networking and presentation by and with the IHCD team led by Executive Director, Valerie Fletcher.

Guests at the Women in Design event network informally over snacks and drinks in the IHCD kitchen

During the presentation and discussion, the group explored how to make the case for inclusive design based on demographics, research and precedent; they learned about using contextual inquiry research with “user/experts” interacting with the built environment that generates data to inform design; saw examples of IHCD projects in education, transportation, culture, healthcare and housing that build on accessible design as a human right to design that facilitates richer experiences for everyone. IHCD also talked about our upcoming initiatives with a focus on Boston. Our specialized library was available for browsing as well as a mix of take away materials. 

IHCD Executive Director Valerie Fletcher and coop student Mary Joseph introduce themselves to the guests in the IHCD conference room

Women designers from our staff, board and interns/coop students hosted the group and were excited to welcome WiD for an evening of learning and sharing experiences.