Kate Watson-Smyth, author of Mad about the House, the UK’s number one interiors blog has joined forces with Rukmini Patel, a leading interior designer of British Asian origin to launch ‘Design for Diversity’; a nationwide campaign to promote inclusivity within the interiors industry which has, in light of recent events, been called out for its lack of representation over the years.
The campaign asks brands, blogs and businesses to commit to a pledge which opens the door to change. Whether it be conversations or ideas, internships and work placements or a more diverse workplace and/or supplier base, all angles point towards a more welcoming, multicultural and equal environment for everyone.
The pledge will take the shape of a ‘sticker’, placed on said brand’s website, which will take visitors through to the following pledge. It can be promoted across websites, social media and all other marketing channels to highlight it is committed to change and promoting diversity within the design community. The pledge is open to brands, as well as publications, influencers, thought-leaders and design businesses, uniting all corners of the industry with one goal in mind.
The pledge
By placing the Design for Diversity sticker on its website, a brand undertakes to uphold the following:
1 Visibility
A pledge that its channels – our websites, blogs and social media – will endeavour to include people of every colour, gender and sexuality.
2 Opportunity
A pledge to seek out BAME candidates to interview for roles that arise in our businesses. Brands will always hire the best person for the job, but promise to be more proactive in looking for more diverse candidates. Brands will stop short of positive discrimination and reject tokenism.
3 Accessibility
A pledge that any events brands hold – be they panel discussions or talks, dinners, receptions, or media events – will endeavour to include people of all colours and genders. Brands already pledged to participate include Heal’s, Rockett St George, Pooky and Audenza, plus PR agency Little Red ? PR and @jazzierere, owner of art gallery One Off to 25.
Speaking of the campaign, Patel comments:
“Design for Diversity, is a simple pledge we hope the design community will embrace to work towards a diverse, inclusive community to tackle the lack of representation across the industry”.
“We hope the Design for Diversity sticker and pledge will open doors to conversations within the design community where there’s a clear need to improve diversity and tackle under-representation. We do not offer this as a solution but as a starting point which, we hope, will pave the way for many more initiatives to come”, adds Kate.
To participate, please visit www.madaboutthehouse.com and www.rukminipatel.com for further info.
