Decolonizing Design

A crusader for equity in teaching design [who] finds a formula that works across borders and sectors, with critical importance for society as a whole. ~Times Higher Education

“Tunstall gives step-by-step instructions for reducing bigotry’s impact on the built environment.” ~The New York Times Book Review

“In Decolonizing Design Tunstall offers an on-the-ground look at the ways modernist design has colonized and oppressed Indigenous, Black, Asian, and Latinx communities, and offers practical and forward-looking ways of rethinking design. Tunstall is clear-eyed in her account of the difficulty of the work and the wounds it might open in the effort to heal and connect.” ~The Boston Globe

The design field has historically been dominated by a narrow Eurocentric set of perspectives. This has resulted in a string of harmful stereotypes, biases, and the culture-erasing homogenization of design. Here to dismantle these power structures is design anthropologist Dori Tunstall, who is also dean of design at OCAD University. In her book, Decolonizing Design, Tunstall explores how modernist design has perpetuated colonial thinking, and how design can help abolish it. ~Fast Company

“Dori Tunstall is a trailblazer! Her book serves as a critical addition to the canon of design, exposing the lies and misinterpretations often hidden within modernist pedagogies.” ~Kevin Bethune, author of Reimagining Design; founder of dreams • design + life

“A once-in-a-decade book. An inspiring, informative, and powerful blueprint that can enable any of us to engage with a topic of our time—decolonization.” ~Rama Gheerawo, The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; author of Creative Leadership: Born from Design

“Finally, a comprehensive, substantive, and practical book to inform decision-makers. I’ll be referencing it regularly with both students and administrators.” ~Mindy Magyar (Mi'kmaq, Sipekneꞌkatik First Nation), Associate Professor, College of Art and Design, Faculty Associate, Office of the Provost, Rochester Institute of Technology