Changing the World Through Design

Lauren Flusche's impactful design lecture details how she became the executive director at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA).

Previously, Flusche was working as an archeologist and art historian in Rome, Italy. While she describes her life there as "total bliss," after over a decade, she decided that creating something for the future was more important to her than living in the past. After moving to Atlanta, Flusche was instantly attracted to the small, scrappy institution that held its own in a town that featured a much bigger art museum.

The most inspiring thing about MODA, according to Flusche, is that every single person, from the board of directors to its supporters, believes in one simple premise: design changes everything. Whether it's a Stanford student designing a system to transport premature infants to the hospital in Nepal, or Georgia Tech students designing a toilet for refugee camps, it is clear that design has the capacity to make the world a better place. To finish her talk, Flusche invites her audience to celebrate the future of design with an exhibition, titled the 'Design of Social Impact,' that looks at the way individuals, schools, firms and corporations use design to shape the future.