DESIGNwith is opening their doors to share their latest innovative soft goods line in collaboration with the Regent Park Sewing Studio to reveal design for inclusion beyond products — the co-design methodology. The narrative of this exhibition is created from the on-going observation of the margins and intersections of the fabric of society — observing people’s needs and skills that are often overlooked. This exhibition will explore traditional methods of creating and alternative approaches to design that consider the whole person including human-centred design, design for accessibility and design for care.

In 2023, the Centre of Learning & Development (CL&D) was generously awarded an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant (OTF) in collaboration with the centre’s Regent Park Sewing Studio (RPSS) and DESIGNwith.

To kick-off the exhibition reception, DESIGNwith will be hosting the OTF grant recognition event. This event aims to showcase the continued collaborative initiatives between CL&D, RPSS, and DESIGNwith in designing for social innovation and environmental sustainability.

DESIGNwith is a values-based design lab producing alternative economies through the discovery and valuation of people’s creative skills. A new way to explore design for social innovation. DESIGNwith is in partnership between Cadillac Fairview and OCAD University — an innovative design lab that brings together communities that are not otherwise invited to the design table. Through participatory design practice, this exhibition will showcase the democratization of design education through an alternative economy, where corporations, academia, and community members from diverse backgrounds come together to collectively exchange their knowledge and expertise, all while employing a practical approach to learning. DESIGNwith as a life-centered design lab champions design for social innovation and and environmental sustainability by using design as a tool to educate our community through collaborative making. Come DESIGNwith us.