Shifting from Client-Based Projects to Community-Driven, Purpose-Led Design

As an MFA Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my teaching practice emphasizes the transformative power of design beyond commercial applications. In Art 346: Basic Graphic Design, students are challenged to move beyond traditional client-based work and engage in community-driven, purpose-led design. This presentation will explore how shifting the pedagogical focus from corporate deliverables to socially conscious projects can empower students to use design as a tool for activism, advocacy, and systemic change.

This talk will highlight student-led projects that foreground social justice, sustainability, and equity—specifically, the "Words Matter" Social Media Campaign, where students create typographic interventions to amplify their personal beliefs on social issues. Given full autonomy to select topics that resonate with them, students have explored themes such as racial justice, mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental activism, and the impact of misinformation. The project emphasizes self-authorship, encouraging students to find their voices and use visual communication to effect change in public discourse.

One example from the "Words Matter" campaign is a project addressing mental health stigma. A student designed a series of social media posts dismantling common misconceptions about depression and anxiety, pairing bold typography with personal narratives and researched statistics. Another project focused on climate action transformed urgent environmental messages into shareable digital assets, prompting users to engage with sustainable practices. These projects demonstrate how design students when given the freedom to explore meaningful content, create work that extends beyond the classroom and into the digital public sphere.

By rethinking design education through a community-centered lens, students begin to see their work not as isolated assignments but as contributions to larger cultural conversations. This shift in perspective fosters agency, critical thinking, and social responsibility. The presentation will outline strategies for:

Encouraging Student-Led Inquiry – Providing frameworks for students to identify and research social issues that matter to them.

Integrating Ethical Storytelling – Teaching students how to represent marginalized communities responsibly without reinforcing stereotypes or engaging in performative allyship.

Leveraging Digital Platforms – Exploring how graphic design can engage audiences through interactive, shareable content that fosters discussion and activism.

Measuring Impact Beyond the Classroom – Assessing student projects through qualitative metrics such as audience engagement, dialogue generated, and real-world application.

Through these approaches, students develop not only strong visual communication skills but also a deeper understanding of design as a tool for advocacy and change. Moving beyond client-driven work allows students to recognize their role as visual storytellers with the power to influence and challenge societal narratives.

This presentation will be relevant to design educators seeking to create more engaged, socially conscious classrooms, as well as practitioners looking to integrate purpose-driven methodologies into their work. By sharing insights from Art 346 and the "Words Matter" campaign, I hope to demonstrate how fostering student agency, self-expression, and civic engagement through design education can shape a new generation of designers committed to making an impact.