Social Design Now
Reflections and Speculations
from MICA MA Social Design 2025
Social Design Now offers both reflections and adventurous proposals for imagining the future of social design at MICA and beyond. Through conversations with practitioners, community partners, alumni, current students and long-time collaborators, the publication observes, reflects and speculates on MICA MA Social Design’s (MASD) current program and trajectory.
In this volume, we ask: What is social design today? How is it understood by academics, practitioners and neighbors? How do we define, practice and experiment with social design in this program? What is its potential in 2025, and beyond? Prepared by MASD ‘25 and program collaborators, the publication features essays, interviews, photography, and a conversation with the 2025 class.
Written by Carley Bran, Kaelyn Ching, DJ Fleming, Christina Jenkins, Kennedy McDaniel, Beth Pieper, Audrey Randazzo, Alston Watson and Shannon WIlling
Designed by Shannon Willing and Alston Watson
Organized and facilitated by Kennedy McDaniel ‘22 and Christina Jenkins
Printed in April 2025 by WORK Printing and Graphics in Baltimore, edition of 100
Social Design Now is supported with funding from the Lucas Grant for Faculty Teaching and Curriculum Development and the Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship Spring 2025 Faculty Grant at MICA.
Photo credit: Side A Photography