Michele Washington
Reimaging Public Spaces through Place Keeping
Member Since
Michele Y. Washington is a designer, researcher, strategist, and design critic. She has worked on a range of projects from Coforma Health + Long COVID-19 and the Health Equity Task Force, A Long Walk Home, Poster House Museum, City as Living Lab, Leadership Summit, Killen’s Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Cox Matthews and Associates, Romare Bearden Foundation, West Harlem Group Assistance, Inc., and the Museum of Science and Industry. She is the founder and host of “Curious Story Lab,” a podcast series featuring designers, architects, urbanism, fashion and product designers and food designers of color.
Michele holds two master’s degrees, Design Criticism from the School of Visual Arts, and another in Communications Design from Pratt Institute. Previously was an A’Leila Bundles Columbia University Scholar Fellow, Billops-Hatch Fellowship, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library at Emory University Fellow, writing residency at Monsoon Artists Residency in Maine.
Previously taught on the faculty of the MA Faculty Exhibition Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, taught Branding and Design. Also, has taught at CUNY and Pratt Institute.
Her work has been exhibited in The Correct Time at the Design Museum in Chicago; Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference, at the Bard Graduate Center; Visual Perceptions: 21 African American Designers Challenge Modern Stereotypes, Design Journey: You Are Here at the AIGA headquarters, and Google Black History and Culture.
Michele’s writing and visual essays have appeared in Architectural Record, The Black Experience in Design, InQue Magazine, AIGA Design Journey, IRAAA, and an essay forthcoming book, Travel Posters of New York City and Poster House Blog on the Attica Uprising Exhibition.
Serves on the following Boards: Poster House Museum, Advisory Board; Pivot: A World of Many Centers, co-organizer; National Museum of African American History & Culture; SEGD, Education Task Force; Indigo Arts Alliance, Advisory Circle; Sing Sing Prison Preview Center (emeritus) serves on Exhibition Committee.
Connect with Michele Washington on LinkedIn or IC.
My super power is
Collective Memory
I'm looking for
New forms of Public Spaces
What I love about experience design
Love browsing buttons and yarn stores. Traveling
Best piece of advice I've ever heard
Keep learning
Where I find Inspiration
Walking and sitting in nature or by the water.
Practice Area
Branded Environments, Exhibition, Placemaking, Public Installation, Strategy/Research/Planning, Wayfinding
Focus Area
Brand, Exhibition, Graphic, Smart Cities, Sustainability
Industry
Cultural, Education, Museums, Urban + Civic