Rooted by Design

Exploring design and innovation as tools to imagine alternative, equitable & reparative futures

Through 8 years of experimenting, building, learning and evolving, Rooted has become a centre dedicated to reparative approaches in design and innovation that transform systems by centering Black voices, culture and lived experience. We partner with communities to co-create alternative solutions that address structural inequality in areas like health, finance and the environment. In 2020, I was invited to support in the growth and leadership of the organisation - taking on various roles in various capacities over 6 years.

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A curious meeting of the minds at the intersection of design & social change

At a time when I was seeking to expand my design practice within Pitchsmiths, asking questions around what really helps innovators to understand the complex nuances of human beings and the social contexts we exist in, I saw a talk at Afrotech Fest, that went on to change the course of my career. Julian Thompson talked about the role of design in racial inequality and introduced an equity design practice that considered culture, history, trauma as part of a design practice that not only produces resonant solutions but equitable ones. Curious and inspired and after several coffees and meetings, Julian invited me to co-lead Rooted with him, an offer hard to turn down.

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The learning journey of growing a unique type of organisation

It's pretty hard to summarise the journey of growing, supporting, leading an organisation from which no model or example existed. Rooted is made up of a team of designers, innovators, delivery managers, strategists committed to reimagining a society that works well for all, particularly Black communities.

Work I've contributed: company strategy, funding proposal writing, project lead & management, equity design educator, facilitation, recruitment, team management, research, programme strategy consulting, cultural & event production, grant funding management, creative commissioning, HR strategy & processes, team culture development, proposition development, client relationship management, brand strategy development, mediation, public speaking, web design & development and more

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What we've achieved

From raising our first grant funding and hiring our first full-time employees in 2020 to growing to a team of 13 people by 2024, we have designed and led projects with charity, civil society, public sector and philanthropic organisations as clients and partners through which:

• We’ve established an equity design practice and embedded it across local authority teams, NHS Trusts, digital teams and other system actors.
• We’ve prototyped radical services, solutions and infrastructure that demonstrate the possibilities that future innovations can offer society.
• We’ve co-designed and tested governance models for shifting decision-making power into the hands of communities.
• We've partnered with communities to create new participation models that to bridge gaps between people and policy change.

After 8 years as an organisation developing our practice through researching and co-designing solutions with communities, learning and evolving, we rebranded and relaunched in 2025 as Rooted: the Centre of Reparative Innovation.

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Some of clients & funders have included:

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