Happy Friday, folks! I wanted to talk about something that is near and dear to me. No, not Black History Month. Representation. When I first started exploring design (fashion, interior, etc.) on social media platforms, I noticed fairly quickly how monotone designers were. Of the influencers and designers who seemed to fill my social media feeds, come up in my searches, and be profiled on design sites, magazines and television shows, very few were people of color. Even though I am no influencer and am just a burgeoning designer, I decided then that I needed to represent myself and my culture more to show that there are different kinds of people who are interested in design and who work in design. Thanks to Black History Month, I am sharing with you two important projects that answer the need for more representation in design.

The first project is by photographer David A. Land and his passion project to bring black designers to light. He has created Corner & Compass, something you should definitely check out. This story and interview on MyDomaine explains the thinking behind it and here is where you can go directly to Corner & Compass.

The second is an annual project by interior designer Angela Belt, someone whose work I admire and I hope to feature in the Designer Spotlight series. She created a series called 28 Black Tastemakers and writes about black artists and designers every day of Black History Month. Each day, she shares information and images over social media and on her blog about a single designer. Follow Angela Belt on Instagram and check out her 28 Black Tastemakers series on her blog to learn about more black designers and help make representation matter.

On that note, happy Friday and have a beautiful February weekend!