2023 Deem Symposium at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Photograph by Brian Crawford.
Organized by Deem, a print journal and online platform focused on design as social practice, this in-person and online hybrid gathering brings together designers, practitioners, and community members to form dialogues around emergent and liberatory directions within design.
Following Deem’s first-ever symposium in March 2023—and hosted once again in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago—this second iteration explores how design can draw on diverse perspectives to create more equitable and inclusive communities and futures, with an additional consideration of design responsiveness and the climate crisis. In keeping with Deem’s editorial mission, the symposium highlights social practices through the lens of dignity and affirms the belief that respect for all stakeholders is the crux of the design process.
Both in-person and virtual audiences experience thought-provoking presentations, conversations, workshops, and activations from and with intersecting voices across disciplines and generations, as well as programming tailored to the city of Chicago. In addition, the event features a Reference Room, which serves as a public gathering space for people to experience some of the reading materials that have inspired Deem’s four issues, as well as the content of the convening’s programming.