
Pali Palavathanan on Design as Activism
From DesignThinkers Podcast by The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD)
September 24, 2025 · 44 min · Season 3 · Episode 8
About this episode
Pali Palavathanan discusses the intersection of design and activism, sharing insights from his experiences as a refugee and his work at Templo.
This week on the DesignThinkers podcast, I’m joined by Pali Palavathanan, co-founder and creative director of Templo. Based in London, Templo is a purpose-led design studio known for bringing creativity and activism together—working with clients like the UN, Amnesty International, and GF Smith, alongside grassroots organizations fighting for justice around the world. In this conversation, Pali shares how his own experiences as a refugee shaped his desire to build a different kind of studio. ...
People in this episode
Guest: Pali Palavathanan
Topics covered
- design
- activism
- creativity
- social justice
- refugee experiences
Keywords
- design activism
- Pali Palavathanan
- Templo
- social justice
- creativity
- refugee
- UN
- Amnesty International
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Templo, UN, Amnesty International, GF Smith
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