Karen Umandal

"My first hands-on encounter with design started with a question; and at the time I hadn't even considered a career in the field. In my high school, there were many complaints about our kitchen— how dirty it was with piles of dishes; how the laminate was so watered down you could see the wood rotting; or even how bad it smelled from its constant neglect. I remember thinking what an odd thing to highlight the unwanted, but to also put up with those same conditions. I remember it so well, the moment I got entangled in design. A simple question: “Can this change?”

The project became special quickly. Not because it was successful or new, but because it was a teacher of many lessons. To design something intentional for a community is rewarding, especially when taking the time to really understand who we’re working with and for, and that design can be a tool to change the projected future; the act that follows our questions. Whether it's art, music, graphics, or built space, design is such a broad field that I could never imagine not falling in love with."