It happened during a summer workshop at Autodesk, where Inneract Project students were tasked with designing lamps inspired by the prompt: “I choose to shed light/shine light on _____.” Barbie had been working at IP for just a few months at that point, and was still pretty new to the world of design.

This Black History Month, Inneract Project (IP) invites you to invest in a world where design is inclusive of Black, Latinx, and underrepresented communities of color.

As a nonprofit organization launched in May 2021, Let’s Hoop had a mission worth promoting—mutual aid and self-empowerment within marginalized communities. They just needed designers to shape the organization’s visual presence. For this, they turned to Inneract Project students!

We recently had the chance to reflect on what 15 years looks like with our Education Committee Lead & Associate Board Member, Ji-hern Baek. Read his interview below to hear about his experiences with IP and what empowering black & brown youth means for the future of design.