My professional identity has been shaped by the emergence of design thinking for the past two+ years. I see so much power and opportunity within this framework. When done right, design centers people and it is comfortable with the unknown. It allows for nuance and paves the way for new responses to emerge, all while transcending the binaries of correct and incorrect or absolute truths. For these reasons and more, I see it as a viable tool for community building, storytelling, and liberation. I see it as a tool for all that I hope to do in this world.

Apparently I’m not alone in that thinking. Last year I learned of Libertatory Design––a philosophy and approach that is used to address equity challenges and change complex systems. In addition to the traditional steps of design thinking––empathize, define, inquire, imagine (ideate), prototype, try (test)––libertatory design frames this process in three milestones: see, engage, and act. But at every step, this approach challenges all designers to constantly NOTICE & REFLECT along the way.

When I learned that I was going to be unemployed indefinitely, I told myself I’d use this time to process my journey: both the one up until this point and the one I’d like to embark on next. Essentially, I wanted to notice and reflect. But during the month of October, my DC apartment began to feel smaller and smaller. I was in a funk. Between seasonal depression, having too much time on my hands, and struggling with the existential question of what’s my purpose?, I felt stuck.

I know that every location, community, and culture has its own aura. There is a specific, cosmic energy that can be felt everywhere you go, and I know that these energies have the power to enlighten, as well as the power to heal. So I decided to go on what I’m calling the “Notice and Reflect Tour”. The title of this tour is self explanatory, but its mission possesses much more depth. As I seek to design my next professional/personal chapter, I aim to use this tour as a fundamental resource in that process. For years I have been charged by equity and Black liberation, but I have yet to really digest the complexities of social movements and organizing efforts. I see this as a moment for me to put in the work.

By visiting Los Angeles, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, and Chicago, I hope to empathize, define, inquire, and imagine new vocational opportunities for me. I hope to explore multiple definitions of “community.” I hope to be inspired by the work of others. And I hope to design a new chapter that’s right for me.