Forty-five years at the Rhode Island School of Design taught Roseanne Summerson many lessons. “Be confident in the power of your thoughts and weaving empathy into everything you do are most important,” she says interior design. Sommerson recently retired from her position as head of the school, a position he has held for the past six years, but the many social and environmental initiatives implemented by the designer and educator will continue to play a critical role in RISD’s future as an increasingly inclusive and innovative institution.
In 2019, she led NEXT: RISD 2020-2027, a seven-year strategic plan to document and explain the school’s current and future goals to expand its commitment to social justice and sustainability. After creating the Social Justice and Inclusion Plan in 2017, the school launched the Center for Social Justice and hired Matthew Shinoda as Vice President. Available financial assistance was also increased by 46%, and in fiscal year 2019-2020, $15.8 million out of a record $24.7 million was allocated for financial support.
Sommerson first experienced RISD as an industrial design student in the early 1970s. “My first memories on campus were a Halloween party, with three [members] of The Talking Heads—who were students at the time—playing as our band,” has since gone back to school as a teacher, founded her own furniture design program, and held various dean positions before being appointed president in 2015. However, it was her last days At school she is busy cementing a number of accomplishments she has identified in place: “I am committed to working to the finish line and I believe the nostalgia will come later.”
Here, Sommerson shares with interior design Thoughts on her last week as president of RISD (she now holds the title of president emeritus), the impact of the school’s newly implemented diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and the hopes of the next generation of designers.
Interior design: racial justice and environmental awareness are two cornerstones next one. While these are two of the most pressing issues in relation to general culture, how do you see the role of social awareness in design?
Roseanne Sommerson: Design is inseparable from a deep concern for the human condition, which is the basis of social consciousness. We live in a time when raising awareness about underlying inequality requires change. The creative minds of design practitioners are needed to unravel the complex web of structural grievances, in our cities, our systems, our media and communications, and in all of the many tentacles that define cultures and cultural assumptions. Art and design students are increasingly committed to social reinvention, and pedagogy is changing dramatically to meet this growing necessity.
ID: Design and access are gradually becoming intertwined. How has the definition of access changed – in terms of opportunities for disadvantaged students and access to design in diverse societies – in this field and what is its course in the near future?
Rosie: My priority has always been to enroll the best and most talented students, regardless of socioeconomics, and then support those students to achieve success by providing access not just to the place, but to the full range of experiences and opportunities that the higher education institution offers. In addition to financial aid, we are committed to providing students with academic support and wellness. But we also earmarked assistance for every student with a clear need for purchasing materials, travel funds, and financial support for unpaid internships. As RISD enrolls increasing numbers of students from diverse backgrounds, their contributions to the entire art and design experience are transformative for all, and everyone benefits. Dialogue and Diverse Life Experiences – lived experiences that shape diverse perspectives – identify and inform the influential components of a robust academic environment. As new experiences advance, the areas our students enter, or the startups or nonprofits they form or contribute to, all benefit from this enhanced learning, broad awareness, and identity.
ID: Having held many different positions at RISD over the years, what changes do you see in the concept of academic hierarchy within the college and in the leadership departments?
Rosie: All systems are subject to evaluation as the whole idea of undoing longstanding structures of inequality is addressed. A collaborative approach, where the effect is multidimensional, is much more effective than a simple hierarchical structure that inevitably tends to be past. Faculty members must own the curriculum, but they also need to have a full understanding of the ways in which their disciplines are developing as well as the students’ advanced learning interests. The curriculum must be dynamic to remain relevant and to drive new knowledge.
Technology has also changed the way we all work, learn, and communicate. Since students use technology quite differently than many faculty members, these differences can also be equal in terms of teaching and learning. For any structure to be successful, true communication is key. Establishing a common set of values and developing a shared vision of where the organization is headed are engines of ambitious change and the times require nothing less. All voices should be part of crafting that vision. However, in the end, those who are responsible for the decisions that are made need the authority to make them. But success requires full cooperation along the path that leads to those decisions.
ID: Can you talk about how you can expand your faculty to broaden the discussion of decentralization in design?
RS: Every field of art and design is undergoing rapid “self-reflection” and rapid change. We have committed to building expertise around the necessities of our time, in particular prioritizing the development of new expertise in the race in art and design and around climate and sustainability challenges. These priorities meant bringing in new faculty members with a core scholarship or relevant work experience. We also develop pathways for faculty to enhance their professional practice, which can influence interdependence in the development of their fields. In the past, RISD’s academic structures have been very isolated, but we have focused on intersections between bodies of knowledge and creating new concentrations that do not fall within a single discipline. I have always said that innovation sleeps in interdisciplinary spaces, and collaborative perspectives can awaken it.
ID: Can you talk about the effects of the Social Justice and Inclusion plan since its launch?
RS: RISD is a very different institution than it was before the plan. Students were particularly important in moving the institution forward. There really is a lot of progress to point out, so I encourage readers to check out our site.
At a high level, our curriculum has been renewed, institutional demographics have changed dramatically (41% of next year’s first-year students are identified as students of color), we’ve raised record financial aid funds, and we’ve raised more in the past two years than in cumulative RISD history . We have supported the appointment of a group of 10 faculty members through generous donor support, as well as a commitment that all academic staff over the next five years will depend on our commitment at SEI. We created the Teaching and Learning Lab to help faculty review their curricula and create new courses focused on comprehensive pedagogy. And we’ve created a new program called the Presidential Fellows Association that provides full tuition support for graduate students. We have created 17 such awards in 18 months, with two additional locations for the 2021-22 academic year. The RISD Museum of Art has pledged that 75% of its new holdings are works by artists in under-represented collections. The plan has touched every part of the enterprise, although there is still a lot of work ahead.
ID: As someone with a background in furniture design, how do you see the future of making things from an environmental point of view?
RS: Design gurus are talking more candidly about the impact of manufacturing on the environment, as well as social justice issues about how materials are sourced. New finishes, adhesives, dyes, composites, biomaterials, and new material classes offer designers a wide range of choices. Things always reflect the culture of the times in which they were created, and while there is no single voice to describe a time or culture, design can play a leading role in expressing the moment we live in and how we impact the future. Projects need to consider the entire life cycle of the object as well as sourcing the right materials and manufacturing that has the least environmental impact. Students are increasingly committed to designing with these considerations in mind.
ID: As you leave RISD after a time unparalleled in recent history, how do you see the future of design with this newly acquired awareness of global emergencies?
Rosie: First of all, I want to sympathize with those who have suffered or lost loved ones in the past year. This crisis has tested the systems of many societies and institutions, and pointed to extreme inequalities. Design is about analysis, strategy, and innovation (or invention), all of which are critical aspects of how we draw lessons from this last period and draw the best from them to rethink what works for the future. Everything has changed: how we live, shop, eat, work, communicate and socialize. A lot of deep thought has happened and fast food is too important to overlook. Designers can help us make these transitions, and imagine a future that takes into account what we’ve learned. Designers are really good at challenging preconceptions and reframing questions that lead to solutions. This latest crisis is full of possibilities that could change our future expectations to live more honestly, more equitably and more gracefully.
ID: How has holding the top leadership position in RISD affected you as a designer yourself?
Rosé: Everything affects me as a designer. I would pose the question in reverse, saying that my background in design has really influenced my leadership style, and how I collaboratively pushed the organization forward. A good design education provides the tools to dissect and reconfigure complex systems so that they function more beautifully and effectively. Design is human in nature. Every important organization is undergoing massive changes, and leadership from a design perspective has been very instrumental in driving a very ambitious set of priorities forward.
ID: Are you planning to practice in the furniture industry in the near future?
Rosé: I’ve started working on a solo exhibition next year that consists of all the new pieces. As I carefully opened the sketchbook to reignite my dialogue with the long relationship I have with my work, I was surprised to see eight pieces just falling off and onto the pages for further development. I still love to start new ideas with hand drawing. The work I will be doing in the near future will be much simpler and more personal than projects in the past. I’m excited just about the fun it makes, and in seeing what finds its way into reality.
ID: What’s your one piece of advice for a young man interested in pursuing design today?
Rosie: Treat your work with your whole truth and your whole self. Don’t let other people’s judgment of you hold you back in any way. Find a way to achieve the impossible – often right in front of you. Don’t let other people’s weaknesses or fears affect your ability to be true to yourself. The world needs your unique point of view. This is more than one tip, but it’s all related.
