Like many of you, I found the election results disappointing and sobering. It reminds me of what’s at stake, and the challenges we continue to face, when pushing back on the status quo. I plan to seek joy, hope, and inspiration in my local community in the coming weeks and months. I hope our studio’s latest newsletter can bring some of all three to you now.

Dear changemaker,

How much time do you spend understanding problems, versus solving them? My guess is that like most people, you prioritize solutions. That’s where the rubber hits the road, right? But I would encourage you to reconsider. 

Some projects at GGS focus solely on design strategy: what is the right problem to solve? Others focus more on design solutions: how should we solve it? Our work with the Government Alliance on Race & Equity, or GARE, was a rare opportunity to do both. We started by learning from racial equity practitioners in government, rigorously defining their needs, and building a strategy for GARE’s online experience. Equipped with this strategy, we then designed a series of thoughtful, human-centered solutions, including a new public-facing website, online community for members, and visual identity for their brand. 

We’re grateful to GARE for helping us demonstrate that good strategy leads to good solutions. I hope you agree - check out the work and let me know!

Sara