Celebrating the Works of the Global Majority: Precedents in Design provides the public with a greater body of reference material concerning works by underrepresented designers. Precedents are the core of any design curriculum. Professors and students use them as their primary design inspiration and access to understanding history, theory, and existing conditions. Many precedent publications used in design schools contain projects only by overrepresented designers (mainly white and international males). There are numerous successful designers of color who have not been documented for educational use. The goal of this project is to create an easily accessible database of these materials that can be used by design professors, students, and the general public. Anecdotal evidence shows improved retention and academic success for students of color who have access to a more diverse representation of successful professionals. Increasing access to these designers has the ability to develop equity amongst all races in design.

We are a group of students and faculty in the College of Arts and Architecture at The Pennsylvania State University. Our work focuses on the design fields within the Stuckeman School, including architecture, landscape architecture, and graphic design. This database is intended for use by design students and faculty for educational purposes.

We would like to thank the designers, the Astorino Endowment, Breanna and Christopher Artuso Scholarship for Internships in the College of Arts and Architecture, Penn State Student Engagement Network, the Stuckeman School, and the Penn State Department of Architecture for their contributions to this project.

Student and faculty contributors: Joshua Achampong, Alisa Asare, Claudia Bowes, Cathy Braasch, Nina Flores, Audrey Leung, Sara Meola, Luke Scanlon, and Sydney Yakowenko.