We are always learning.
Whether designing gender-inclusive bathrooms or selecting minimally off-gassing materials, the design decisions we make on a micro to macro level impact health at every scale and cover a spectrum of human issues. There’s a lot need we can learn.
To support designers, I / F offers:
intriguing, hands-on live workshops, lunch + learns, and on-demand continuing education to arm designers and their co-conspirators with allies, best practices, and realistic strategies to keep pushing the envelope on healthy design and spatial justice in Portland and beyond
on-call social sustainability management, design consultation, and community engagement strategies for spaces ranging from tenant improvements to park projects, always with an focus on accessibility, health, comfort, and joy
To the best of our abilities, Informal/Function commits to working toward education that includes:
Designers learning from both formally educated subject experts and stakeholders with lived experience
Fairly compensating educators and stakeholders for their time
Appealing to a spectrum of different learning styles
Creating a hands-on, collaborative environment
Providing accessible learning options like online education, live feeds/recordings, and translation/interpretation
Valuing attendees’ time and attention through professional CEUs
Synthesis of multiple, oftentimes siloed topics
Bringing critical spatial justice conversations to the greater public
An ever-evolving curriculum, because the world changes every day