Design as means for social transformation in impoverished areas

Valle de Chalco is not necessarily Chalco and by that I mean, we were fortunate enough to grasp the superficial fibers of a community museum that the only thing it lacks, is money (never spirit) to move forward for the mission they set out to develop 21 years ago.

When I set out to bring my students to this project I couldn't foresee that Genaro, the director of the community museum, would end up, pronouncing the words he did when we showed him the work developed in five areas for his project [corporate image (including souvenirs), wayfinding, interior interactive furniture and external recreational areas, editorial design and a game for the museum.

Why? Because I wasn't aware that by giving to his community museum, we were actually providing hope to people from less fortunate areas. I was just focused on giving back to the project itself, the student's commitment and their learning through the project.

I really hope, there is a social seed that gets planted in students' fertile minds. I know innovation was made in a very humble way. No Mexican community museum has ever had the budget or the talent these kids brought to it. It wasn't easy. At all. But it is finally there, appreciated, collected and hopefully disseminated amongst theirs, and love in the shape of design, does get passed on, in every little thing we do and that's transformative enough for now.