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Minority ethnic groups and women are significantly underrepresented in architecture and related design professions. So, a team of CannonDesign colleagues wrote a children’s book that helps children of all backgrounds see their voices are needed and welcome in this space. Deja and her friends think big, take adventures that expand their horizons - and sometimes push them to the edge. Through her exploration and problem solving, Deja teaches young readers about key topics and ideas across design thinking, science and beyond.
The vision for Deja is to nurture the talent pipeline by encouraging underrepresented children to explore careers in design; advance CannonDesign’s DEI mission; serve as a bridge between the design profession and diverse communities; and provide opportunities for client engagement.
I worked alongside the writing and editing teams to hand draw each illustration. Spanning from full scenes to micro interactions, the artwork embodies a child-like spirit with playful colors, gentle textures, and whimsical characters. I also created a coloring and activity book titled Coloring Dreams.
The book is available for purchase here: dejathedynamo.com
A portion of proceeds will be donated to the ACE Mentor Program of America.
2024 GDUSA American In-House Design Award Winner!
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Programs: Photoshop, Fresco, InDesign