ABOUT:


HarvardxDesign is an annual student-led conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) that brings together designers, academics, industry leaders, and students to challenge conventional design thinking. In collaboration with students from across Harvard’s schools, the 2025 conference, "Re-xDesign" will take place on Saturday, April 12th, 2025, at Gund Hall, Harvard GSD, Cambridge, MA.

 

Re-xDesign invites us to challenge past narratives, critically examine the present, and imagine new futures through design. The three panels - Reclaim, Realize, and Reimagine - will engage in discussions that span across time, questioning the narratives we inherit, the systems we operate within, and the possibilities we can create.

ABOUT:


HarvardxDesign is an annual student-led conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) that brings together designers, academics, industry leaders, and students to challenge conventional design thinking. In collaboration with students from across Harvard’s schools, the 2025 conference, "Re-xDesign" will take place on Saturday, April 12th, 2025, at Gund Hall, Harvard GSD, Cambridge, MA.

 

Re-xDesign invites us to challenge past narratives, critically examine the present, and imagine new futures through design. The three panels - Reclaim, Realize, and Reimagine - will engage in discussions that span across time, questioning the narratives we inherit, the systems we operate within, and the possibilities we can create.

ABOUT:


HarvardxDesign is an annual student-led conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) that brings together designers, academics, industry leaders, and students to challenge conventional design thinking. In collaboration with students from across Harvard’s schools, the 2025 conference, "Re-xDesign" will take place on Saturday, April 12th, 2025, at Gund Hall, Harvard GSD, Cambridge, MA.

 

Re-xDesign invites us to challenge past narratives, critically examine the present, and imagine new futures through design. The three panels - Reclaim, Realize, and Reimagine - will engage in discussions that span across time, questioning the narratives we inherit, the systems we operate within, and the possibilities we can create.

LOCATION:


Piper Auditorium,

Gund Hall

LOCATION:


Piper Auditorium,

Gund Hall

DATE:


Saturday, April 12th, 2025

9AM - 5PM

DATE:


Saturday, April 12th, 2025

9AM - 5PM

2025: SUBTHEMES

HARVARD X DESIGN

RE:DESIGN

REALIZE

Realize unveils biases in our present-day built environment, policies, and technologies, and how we can challenge these assumptions and drive more inclusive and just design.

REIMAGINE

Reimagine expands the realm of what’s possible, using design as a speculative and provocative tool to envision plural futures that break away from conventional paradigms

RECLAIM

RECLAIM

RECLAIM

Reclaim challenges how history is told and whose voices are amplified, exploring how design can serve as a tool for reclaiming marginalized narratives and advocating for cultural justice.

Reclaim challenges how history is told and whose voices are amplified, exploring how design can serve as a tool for reclaiming marginalized narratives and advocating for cultural justice.


Reclaim challenges how history is told and whose voices are amplified, exploring how design can serve as a tool for reclaiming marginalized narratives and advocating for cultural justice.

REALIZE

Realize unveils biases in our present-day built environment, policies, and technologies, and how we can challenge these assumptions and drive more inclusive and just design.


REIMAGINE

Reimagine expands the realm of what’s possible, using design as a speculative and provocative tool to envision plural futures that break away from conventional paradigms


REALIZE

Realize unveils biases in our present-day built environment, policies, and technologies, and how we can challenge these assumptions and drive more inclusive and just design.

REIMAGINE

Reimagine expands the realm of what’s possible, using design as a speculative and provocative tool to envision plural futures that break away from conventional paradigms

AGENDA

HARVARD X DESIGN

RE:DESIGN

8:30 - 10:00 A.M.

8:30 - 10:00 A.M.

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION

1.

Breakfast and Coffee Provided

Breakfast and Coffee Provided

8:45 - 9:45 A.M.

8:45 - 9:45 A.M.

WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP

By

Other Tomorrows

Other Tomorrows

10:00 - 10:10 A.M.

10:00 - 10:10 A.M.

INTRO

INTRO

1.

Opening Remarks

Opening Remarks

10:10 - 11:45 A.M.

10:10 - 11:45 A.M.

PANEL 1 - RECLAIM

PANEL 1 - RECLAIM

Reshaping Past Narratives through Design Agency
Reshaping Past Narratives
through Design Agency

1.


Ramon Tejada

Ramon Tejada

RISD

2.


Sam Olbekson

Sam Olbekson

Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design

Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design

3.


Sloan Leo Cowan

Sloan Leo Cowan

FLOX Studio

FLOX Studio

4.


Javier Ors Ausín

Javier Ors Ausín

World Monuments Fund

Moderator:

Moderator:

Ana María León

Ana María León

Harvard GSD

11:45 - 12:40 P.M.

11:45 - 12:40 P.M.

BREAK

BREAK

1.

Lunch & Refreshments Provided

Lunch & Refreshments Provided

12:40 - 2:15 P.M.

12:40 - 2:15 P.M.

PANEL 2 - REALIZE

PANEL 2 - REALIZE

Challenging Design Assumptions and Unveiling Realities

Challenging Design Assumptions

and Unveiling Realities

1.


Joseph Coughlin

Joseph Coughlin

MIT AgeLab

2.


Lindsay Harkema

Lindsay Harkema

WIP Collaborative

3.


Sami Sinakas

Sami Sinakas

MARVEL & Queer Landscapes

4.


Damon Rich

Damon Rich

HECTOR & Columbia University

HECTOR & Columbia University

Moderator:

Moderator:

Mariana Jimena Escorza Alegre

Mariana Jimena Escorza Alegre

Harvard GSD Loeb Fellow

Harvard GSD Loeb Fellow

2:15 - 3:10 P.M.

2:15 - 3:10 P.M.

WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP

By

Feminist Spatial Practices

Feminist Spatial Practices

3:15 - 4:45 P.M.

3:15 - 4:45 P.M.

PANEL 3 - REIMAGINE

PANEL 3 - REIMAGINE

Plural Futures and Radical Possibilities

1.


Alix Gerber

Alix Gerber

Smith College

2.


Stuart Candy

Stuart Candy

Tecnológico de Monterrey

3.


Raafat Majzoub

Raafat Majzoub

MIT

4.


Jazsalyn

Jazsalyn

Black Beyond

Moderator:

Johanna Hoffman

Johanna Hoffman

Harvard GSD & DFA

4:45 - 5:00 P.M.

4:45 - 5:00 P.M.

CLOSING REMARKS

CLOSING REMARKS

5:00 - 6:00 P.M.

5:00 - 6:00 P.M.

NETWORKING NIGHT

NETWORKING NIGHT


Coffee and Chat with MacArthur Fellow of Urban Design

Damon Rich

Coffee and Chat with MacArthur Fellow of Urban Design

Damon Rich

Sponsored by

Sponsored by

Primary Sponsors

Primary Sponsors

Supported by

Supported by

CONFERENCE TEAM

Team

Team

Lead

Lead

Jianna So
Lydia Melnikov
Lydia Yan

Shivangi Varma

Jianna So
Lydia Melnikov
Lydia Yan

Shivangi Varma

CS PhD,
MUP,
MDes,
MAUD,

CS PhD,
MUP,
MDes,
MAUD,

2029
2026
2025
2025

2029
2026
2025
2025

Fellows

Fellows

Aformia Hunde
Ami Mehta
Claudia Sachs

Eric Pham
Hazel Su
Hui Li
Jingfei Huang
Lilith Ren

Sijia Jiang
Sirinda (Kaew) Limsong
Xin Huang

Xintong Hu
Yue Duan

Yuhan Wang

Aformia Hunde
Ami Mehta
Claudia Sachs
Eric Pham
Hazel Su
Hui Li
Jingfei Huang
Lilith Ren
Sijia Jiang
Sirinda (Kaew) Limsong
Xin Huang
Xintong Hu
Yue Duan

Yuhan Wang

MArch II,
MDes,
MDes,
MArch I
MAUD,
MAUD,
MDE
MDES
MLA,
MDE,
MAUD
MLA,
MDes,

MDes,

MArch II,
MDes,
MDes,
MArch I
MAUD,
MAUD,
MDE
MDES
MLA,
MDE,
MAUD
MLA,
MDes,

MDes,

2025
2026
2026
2027
2026
2025
2025
2026
2026
2026
2026
2027
2026

2026

2025
2026
2026
2027
2026
2025
2025
2026
2026
2026
2026
2027
2026

2026

FAQ

What accessibility services will the event provide?

Where can I park?

Where can I find my ticket?

What accessibility services will the event provide?

Where can I park?

Where can I find my ticket?

What accessibility services will the event provide?

Where can I park?

Where can I find my ticket?

13TH EDITION

04.12.2025

13TH EDITION

04.12.2025

HARVARD
X DESIGN

HARVARD
X DESIGN