BY THE PEOPLE: DESIGNING A BETTER AMERICA
An exhibition of 60 collaborative designs from throughout the United States and across borders, By the People challenges the country’s persistent social and economic inequality. Curator of Socially Responsible Design Cynthia E. Smith conducted over two years of field research—traveling to shrinking post-industrial cities, sprawling metro regions, struggling rural towns, areas impacted by natural and man-made disasters, and places of persistent poverty—in search of design for more inclusive and sustainable communities. Presented in the Barbara and Morton Mandel Design Gallery and the museum’s Process Lab, the exhibition delivers a powerful message of optimism for achieving a more just and equitable society for all Americans through design.
#DesigningAmerica
PROCESS LAB: Citizen Design
The museum’s Process Lab gives visitors firsthand experiences with the activities designers use to solve problems and develop new ideas. Now on view, Citizen Design, which invites visitors to engage, empathize, and help envision a better America. Citizen Design was inspired by the GRAY AREA project, featured in By the People, and developed in partnership with Interface Studio Architects. Learn more about Citizen Design.
Exhibition Highlights
Cross-Border Community Station Estudio Teddy Cruz + Forman & UCSD Cross-Border Initiative 2015-present Photo: Estudio Teddy Cruz + Forman (Rene Jaime Torrero) 
Raleigh Denim Workshop Victor Lytvinenko and Sarah Yarborough Raleigh, North Carolina 2007present Photo: Rob Howard 
Farm Hack Tools Greenhorns, GreenStart, National Young Farmers Coalition and 400,000 farmhack.net users California, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Canada, United Kingdom 2010-present Photo: By Farm Hack licensed under CC BY 4.0 
Open House Matthew Mazzotta York, AL 2011-13 Photo: Shana Berger/Coleman Center for the Arts
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