What were the designers thinking–or were they? Why do certain designs create points of pain–and what can we do about them? Why are some people unfairly disadvantaged by the design of particular spaces, places, and products, while others are not? On the flip side, what innovative designs create level playing fields that advantage us all? This presentation reveals hidden gender, age, and body biases that disadvantage by design–along with award-winning designs for fashion, products, and buildings that respond to gender, age, and body diversity. Secret biases in design can advantage or disadvantage us in different ways, and their power is immense. You will become more aware of how the design of the clothes you wear, the products you use, and the spaces you visit every day influence you in ways that you never thought about before.
Biography:
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s School of Architecture KATHRYN H. ANTHONY is its longest serving female faculty member, its only female Full Professor, the first woman to have served as Chair of the Design Program Faculty and as Chair of the Building Research Council. She holds the lifetime title of Distinguished Professor from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). She received national awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the ACSA, and the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). She holds a Ph.D. in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley.
The author of Designing for Diversity: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the Architectural Profession (2001, 2008), Design Juries on Trial: The Renaissance of the Design Studio (1991) and over 100 publications, Dr. Anthony has served as a spokesperson about gender issues in architecture on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, National Public Radio (NPR), The Chicago Tribune, The Economist, The Los Angeles Times, Time.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. The New York Times (April 13, 2009) featured her words as the Quotation of the Day.
Dr. Anthony testified before the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington, DC on May 12, 2010 in support of H.R. 4869, The Bipartisan Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act. Her testimony and publications on gender and family issues in public restrooms are entered into the US Congressional Record.
A former Chair of the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, she also served as Co-Chair of the Provost’s Gender Equity Council, spearheading a movement to incorporate gender equity issues into the design review process for new buildings and major renovations on campus. Her course on gender and race in contemporary architecture has been taught for almost 20 years.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Anthony has served as a catalyst to challenge and change architectural education and practice, inspiring faculty to create more humane learning environments, architects to create more humane working environments, and students to empower themselves. Her teaching, research, writing, and service have educated hundreds of architecture students, faculty, and practitioners—and the public–about the critical importance of designing for diversity and designing spaces for people.