d4d lab

projects

kanan honey / miel kanan

This summer we’re working on a project with Fundación Mexico-Estados Unidos para la Ciencia (FUMEC) to develop a union of local honey cooperatives so they can market their honey in México and the US. This project is informed by our earlier project with Lol-Balché in Santa...
Date :18 May
Posted By :
Comment :0
Kuxtal Sian Ka'an

Ak Kuxtal Sian Ka’an

“Ak Kuxtal Sian Ka’an,” (Kuxtal—Maya—that which gives us life; pronounced kush-tol), is a network of artisans established to counter the systemically low value, low wages, and low expectations of and by artisans and simultaneously promote environmental stewardship by fostering an...
Date :27 Apr
Posted By :
Comment :0

creativity workshop

We conducted this workshop with artisans in Noh-Bec, Quintana Roo, working with Ak Kuxtal Sian Ka’an.  
Date :22 Oct
Posted By :
Comment :Off

na bolom chair, san cristobal

San Cristobal, Chiapas, México. Download the templates to build this chair made with no hardware and just two pieces of wood – true to the original at the Na Bolom Research Center. Make it. Make it better. Silla Na Bolom y Patron Na Bolom Seat and Pattern
Date :25 Jun
Posted By :
Comment :0

organic farming in noh-bec

Narayan Ghiotti and I met with Gualberto Cazanova in Noh-Bec, Quintana Roo to talk about the next phase of the “pixan” project. Narayan will be working with Gualberto in the field (literally) and it will be an opportunity for learning and exchange. I’m very...
Date :15 Jul
Posted By :
Comment :0

thick descriptions

The term was used by the anthropologist Clifford Geertz in his The Interpretation of Cultures (1973) to describe his own method of doing ethnography (Geertz 1973:5-6, 9-10). Since then, the term and the methodology it represents have gained currency in the social sciences and...
Date :17 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

fieldwork itinerary

People often ask me what fieldwork is like. During this research trip we worked between 8 – 14 hours a day. Research site locations varied – some 1 to 2 hours from Carrillo. We drove 1211 kilometers or 752 miles – some of this on bumpy dirt roads. We had no major run-ins with...
Date :16 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

celso’s cited

“Yo se que mi producto es unico” “El publico me exige mejorar” “No me gusta copiar” “Yo vivo 100% de la artesania” “Hay que tenerla mente muy centrada y estar siempre trabajando” “Hay pensar a quien venderle” “Hay que salir y mostrarle al publico; yo estoy 50% del tiempo...
Date :11 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

workshop brainstorming / small group activity

(Another post from Laila, brought to you by Morgan) Mike, Enrique, Mirtsa, Laila Both of them were very engaged, and after a little help on initial ideas they came up with different alternatives for products. Showed creativity. Felt more confident working with us, in a group. ...
Date :09 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

enrique in noh-bec

  (A Post from Laila, brought to you by Morgan…) He is very enthusiastic and has great ambitions. At the beginning he was very shy, but today, the second day he was a lot more extroverted.  He shows a lot of interest in developing new projects, like opening a wood stand as...
Date :09 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

  I was trying to envision how the workshop would go before we got there, so I could prepare to run out of the nearest exit when things went south. No, I’m kidding, I would never bail. But seriously, I thought I could at least prepare mentally for the place or context of...
Date :09 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0

First day in Mexico

I didn’t really know what to expect getting into Mexico yesterday. Maria kept telling us to write down our expectations, but every time I sat down and thought about it, I drew a blank. I felt like even if I did write some of my expectations down they would be contrived,...
Date :09 Feb
Posted By :
Comment :0
12

About D4D

D4D is a lab for codesigning with people in communities, valuing situated knowledge, and seeking to where and in ways not traditionally available to those who are trained as designers. Founded by Maria Rogal, its purpose now is to foster horizontalidad within design education and practice in order to aid students and designers to expand their knowledge base, skill sets, and mindset to approach our work with respect, reciprocity, and humility, decentering design. Since 2003, Maria’s  design research has incorporated codesign and dialogue in an ongoing effort to address power imbalances, particularly among Indigenous and marginalized communities.

Find us on issuu.com

We have several project documents available on D4D Documents on issuu.com
Copyright Maria Rogal, D4D Lab, and attendant authors 2006–present.