Lately, I’ve received several invitations to give keynote speeches at international conferences. Do you know why? Because my podcast put me on the map. Those who invite me are well aware of my work on the podcast and even mention it. Sometimes, I talk about my role as a designer, other times, I touch on topics that have already been discussed on the podcast. I present and analyse what I hear in relation to topics that interest me: feminism, public policies, collaboration between designers and indigenous communities, and health.
When all events moved to the virtual world during the pandemic, I joined a bunch of design events in Latin America. But after my talks, I felt like there was something missing, a desire for more interaction with people. Some brave souls asked questions, but they weren’t necessarily experts from the host country on my topic!
Currently, I am exploring hybrid formats. When I receive an invitation, I make a counterproposal in which I can listen to local designers and ask them questions. I suggest creating a panel with the same theme as my talk and to moderate the panel as part of the event, and of course, we invite local experts. That panel then becomes an episode of the podcast! We define the topics and guests in collaboration with the conference organizers.
I want to tell you about one of these panel discussions.
In June, I went to Puebla, Mexico, where I gave a talk on “Design and Feminism.” I shared what I had been learning from the interviews on my podcast “Design and Diaspora.” If you want to check out the slides, you can find them here (Warning: they are in Spanish).
After the talk, we organised a panel. The event curators told us about the creation of an exhibition on “Feminist Resistance.” And there I was, listening attentively and contributing with my questions.
Julieta Caballero Huelgas, Ximena García Ortega, Regina García Ortega, and Estefanía Farías Guevara are the minds behind the exhibition “Trazos que Arden. Más allá del 8M” (Lines that Burn. Beyond March 8th). They are part of the “Femin.are” collective. The entire event was a collaboration with the Interactive Urban Museum of the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Puebla, Mexico, where we recorded the podcast and where the exhibition was displayed.
We talked about how design and art support feminist resistance, how they handled the curation, the design process when putting together an exhibition, and we also delved into the issue of feminicides in Mexico. The cherry on top is that we recorded the podcast live! You can listen to it here (in Spanish)
In summary, I am exploring these hybrid ways of approaching my participation in conferences. From a very engaging talk to a sizzling panel, we’re raising the stakes.
Soon, we will be publishing online panels I recorded in Mexico and Cuba on other topics: Activism, Health, and Public Policies. Always with a design perspective.
If you’re curious about the podcast and would like to listen to the episodes in English, you can find them here.
Tune in next time to learn together! 🎙️🎉🌟