Welcome to DSGN AGNC, a design and research collaboration that seeks to address the global problem of spatial, social, economic, and political inequality in the world’s urban peripheries through design praxis.  We offer as operational platform the concept of critical activism–that folding activism into the discourse of critical practice opens up new possibilities to rethink the structure and scope of design process. Critical activism postulates that no product is ever final; recognizing that design can only optimize products by calibrating process and performance over time.

As a critical activist practice we believe that the best design solutions emerge out of  processes based on collective discovery and experimentation. It is then important for design firms to embrace an open-source methodology, encouraging a larger conversation and sharing of information. As part of our commitment to transparency we are using simple and widely available web tools to pull back the curtain of the design practice; sharing the processes, methodologies, research and ideas that guide our designs.