Design Corps Fellows
September 9, 2024 |Ron Acob | Photo Credit by Ron Acob, McKinley Ogden, Daniel Phillips
In 1991, Design Corps was founded with a mission to “create positive change in traditionally underserved communities by using design, advocacy, and education to help them shape their environment and address their social, economic, and environmental challenges. The mission is realized when people are involved in the decisions that shape their lives.”
Design Corps has significantly contributed to the field of Public Interest Design, a community-centered design practice, by “building capacity through multiple scales and models.” The Design Corps Fellowship was established to further develop this emerging field through “activities such as creating exemplary community-driven projects, engaging with the public, organizing trainings, documenting exemplary projects, and networking with other networks and organizations”.
Design for The Common Good Network in collaboration with Design Corps are thrilled to introduce the emerging designers who have been awarded the Design Corps Fellowship. These fellows have been recognized for their exemplary work.
Ron Acob (He/They)
Outreach and Engagement Designer
Center for Public Interest Design
Design Corps Fellow
Ron Acob Outreach and Engagement Designer Center for Public Interest Design Design Corps Fellow Born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii, Ron Acob is a Filipino designer and story-teller based in Portland, Oregon. Ron graduated from his Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2023 and currently serves as a Design Corps Fellow with the Center for Public Interest Design at Portland State University. He is also an editor with the Design for the Common Good Network.
As a Design Corps Fellow, Ron’s work focuses on leading efforts related to the research, development, demonstration, and dissemination of Indigenous wisdom that can inform contemporary environmental stewardship and environmentally-conscious public interest design practices in the built environment. One of his notable works is being the host of the “Oak Savanna and ITECK Center: The Voices at the Intersection of Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge and Architecture Series”.
Ron’s work focuses on centering community engagement within design processes. As a creative, he emphasizes the importance of bringing stories and narratives into architecture in various forms (artwork, writing, graphics, music, play, podcast, videos, photos, and many more). Ron believes that when everyone sees their stories and experiences reflected in their surroundings, they build a stronger sense of belonging and connection to their community. It also fosters a space of sharing and learning knowledge from various perspectives.
Though architecture and architects are human made words, they manifest all around us if we observe closely. Trees intertwine their branches, birds construct nests, rivers shape valleys, and humans create shelter. I want to highlight that everyone is a designer in their own right, and every voice is crucial in shaping a built environment that is inclusive, where many of us can feel a true sense of belonging.”
McKinley Ogden
Youth Outreach Coordinator
Prism Design Lab
Design Corps Fellow
McKinley is a graphic designer and a recent graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is passionate about typography, logo design, and print design. If not lost in the depths of Adobe Illustrator, you’ll find her enjoying her time in nature.
McKinley now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and acts as the Youth Outreach Coordinator for Prism Design Lab, as well as a Design Corps Fellow. Her role at Prism focuses on building capacity within the organization, fundraising, marketing, and outreach to the community. Using her design skills along with experience in teaching and mentoring youth, McKinley is excited to be a part of an impactful organization that teaches and inspires youth to project their vision and voice to the broader community.
Being a part of Prism Design Lab and Design Corps is a very rewarding position and I am thankful I am able to be a part of community-led design!
Daniel Phillipps (They/Them)
Public Interest Designer
Design Corps
Design Corps Fellow
Daniel “Danny” Phillips is Bolivian born, raised in the San Francisco Bay area in Marin County, and studied at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. Danny has a leadership and program management background from their time with CSU’s Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects working in positions such as Financial officer and President.
They recently joined Design Corps as a Fellow working with founder Bryan Bell as a Public Interest Designer and will be working on major projects derived from Professor Bell’s Design Incubation Studio at North Carolina State University (NCSU). These initiatives include an Unhoused Youth Community Housing project and two collaborated works with the Governor Morehead School for a wayfinding and play space project. To provide advocacy, they’ll also be co-organizing a Public Interest Design Institute highlighting issues concerning First Nations Communities. Aligning with the Design Corps mission for Education, Danny will provide aid for Prism Design Lab’s in person workshops and NCSU’s FreedomxDesign Student Organization advised by Bryan Bell.
Landscape Architecture at its root addresses a facet of design that affects everybody. Through Design Corps I look forward to connecting this philosophy with my work and onward to my career.
Design Corps and The Design for the Common Good Network are proud to highlight the contributions of our Design Corps Fellows and look forward to the continued positive impact of their community-focused projects.
If you are interested in applying for the Design Corps Fellowship visit the opportunities page or visit designcorps.org
