DESIGNERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Designers Without Borders is a consortium of designers and design educators working to assist institutions of the developing world with their communication needs. The organization's volunteers provide instruction, consultation, and varieties of development advice and assistance in both community and educational environments. DWB was founded in Kampala, Uganda in 2001 in response to the need for assistance at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts. Incorporated in 2002 as a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit in the State of Oregon, DWB continues to deliver technology, instruction, and design consulting to schools and select non-profits.

As a board member, VDG President Julian B. Kiganda, developed and implemented DWB's first online mentoring program. The program matched design students at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda with design professionals in the United States. The objective of the program is for the student to gain real world experience and coaching by a professional designer, which will allow them to be more competitive in the job market. The program has run for two years successfully and is being considered for expansion into other parts of Africa.

Mentoring Minds Across the Atlantic
I’ve always wanted to use design as a way to build bridges and literally cross borders. The development of the DWB Online Design Exchange has allowed me to do just that. The program came about as an idea that I had to connect designers in Africa to mentors in the US and allow them access to knowledge, techniques and skills that they may not otherwise have in their sometimes less-than-ideal academic environments...
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