Design for Belonging
By Susie Wise
Why we support it
Design for Belonging imagines a world where everyone feels genuinely seen, heard, and valued in their communities—where belonging is not left to chance but intentionally designed into the fabric of our schools, workplaces, and organizations. In this world, when people enter a space or join a group, they don't have to shrink or hold back to fit in; instead, they can show up as their authentic selves and know they are welcomed as full members of the community.
Design for Belonging is bringing that vision to life. Created by Dr. Susie Wise, a design leader at Stanford's d.school and co-creator of Liberatory Design, it provides a practical, illustrated framework that uses the tools of design to intentionally build inclusion and reduce othering. Its goal is to empower leaders, educators, and community builders—especially those working to serve people furthest from opportunity—to transform the culture of their organizations through everyday acts that honor each person's contributions and help everyone thrive.
Root Cause of the Problem:
Many people experience othering in everyday life—feeling unseen, unwelcome, or pressured to suppress parts of themselves—which limits participation in learning, work, and community. While organizations increasingly name inclusion as a value, they often lack clarity on how inequity shows up in lived experience. Belonging is frequently assumed to emerge on its own rather than being intentionally shaped through interactions, environments, and systems. As a result, efforts remain abstract and disconnected from how people actually move through spaces and relationships.