Design and Diversity. A Workshop on Practicing a Designerly Approach toward Social Change
Workshop with Nargess Khodabakhshi, organized by Fashion and Styles, Institute for Education in the Arts.
This workshop explores how our perceptions of self-identity and social identities influence our interactions with the external world and our approach to social questions. Participants are encouraged to collectively examine design-led and human-centred methods for developing concepts for products, services, or innovations that foster social change towards diversity.
Nargess Khodabakhshi, Dr. phil, is a researcher, educator, and creative practitioner, based in Vienna. Her work bridges academic inquiry, artistic and design practice, and a deep curiosity about global fashion and design histories—particularly those highlighting non-Western perspectives. Her PhD (IKL) was awarded the Prize for Scientific Theses at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 2023. With a background in Cultural Studies (PhD), Fine and Studio Arts (MFA) and Communication Design (BA), she explores how design shapes culture and identity, moving fluidly between theory and practice. She developed and taught courses in Cultural Studies, Fashion Studies, and Design Anthropology at Austrian universities. Beyond academia she engages in creative projects that harness design and education as tools for cross-generational and cross-cultural empowerment.