Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 2

Special Edition: Building Diverse Design Teams, Part 2

From This Is A Prototype by Doug Powell

September 25, 2025 · 43 min · Season 3 · Episode 2

About this episode

In this episode, Doug Powell and Kevin Bethune discuss building diverse design teams with several industry leaders and students involved in a design curriculum program.

On August 28, I hosted a webinar on Building Diverse Design Teams in which I spoke to some of the top leaders in design about the importance of building a more diverse, equitable and representative profession—and what we as individual leaders can do to make that happen. The event was also a fundraiser for an organization called Diversify by Design , and their program DESIGN=, which provides design curriculum kits, teacher training, mentorship, and career guidance to middle- and high-school classrooms in marginalized communities. My co-host for the event was design leader, educator, author, and tv presenter, Kevin Bethune. In part two of this two-part episode, Kevin and I are joined by Tysonn Betts, Omari Souza, and Debbie Millman, and we also heard from students who are working with the DESIGN= curriculum kits in the classroom. In part one—which dropped last week—we were joined by Oen Hammonds, Shawn Williams, and Ellen McGirt. Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design .

People in this episode

Host: Doug Powell

Guests: Kevin Bethune, Tysonn Betts, Omari Souza, Debbie Millman

Topics covered

  • diversity in design
  • design education
  • equity in design
  • mentorship
  • career guidance

Keywords

  • diverse design teams
  • design leaders
  • education
  • fundraiser
  • marginalized communities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Diversify by Design, DESIGN=

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