On Responsible Design | ADR+BNE Panel Event

We are honoured to have ADR+BNE hosting their first event at our space.

Responsible Design was a huge topic, and Keisha Leon, Urusaro Patricia, James Gauci and Zoe Mellick did an excellent job of defining what responsible design means to them and how it can be brought to life.

The panellists also shared the importance of engagement and relationships, valuing your sense of self, a shared understanding of the design process and shaping your career to align with personal values.

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About the panellists:

Keisha Leon

A proud Waanyi and Kalkadoon woman and the director of Cause/Affect, a social impact creative agency, delivering meaningful and relevant communication solutions through a diverse lens, that we know has the chance of driving real change.Keisha has had a successful career in design and creative direction in both agency and client-side environments, combining her proven professional knowledge with a strong sense of social responsibility. Her next step is to better model projects and work spaces for diverse voices to better approach social impact communications.

Urusaro Rwagaju‍

A versatile design strategist and accomplished creative. After a career in the analytical sciences, she pivoted to social impact after helping to run an organisation focused on destigmatising mental health for BIPOC Australians as their Chief Operating Officer.Now she works as a design strategist for Mettlesome and as the creative lead for the Museum of Sticks & Stones - a groundbreaking project by Mettlesome looking to build more kind and tolerant societies. Outside of her social impact and design work, she is also an established creative under the moniker Saro Roro operating as a musician, creative producer and model.

James Gauci‍

CEO and founder of Ethē, an Australian AI governance platform. Ethē helps organisations establish responsible AI governance in days, not months, and is built to support international standards in AI risk, safety, and ethics management. Ethē is an all-in-one solution to achieving and maintaining compliance with ISO/IEC 42001 and Australian AI Safety Standards.James is also Managing Director and founder of Cadent, an ethical technology studio and certified social enterprise working to align technology to humanity. Cadent has delivered tech consulting and software work for the Australian Government, Queensland Government, not-for-profits, and private companies. In 2023 Cadent donated more than 50% of its profits to AI safety and standards research and development through The Gradient Institute and IEEE SSIT. James has enjoyed more than a decade in technology roles, holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science and an MBA, and is Chair of the Australian national committee of the IEEE SSIT (Society on Social Implications of Technology).

Zoe Mellick‍

A Lecturer in Fashion in the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology. Zoe recently completed an industry-funded PhD which looked at how people perceive Australian cotton’s sustainable value.Her research aims to extend understandings around sustainability and its value, and identify practices that can further sustainability and circularity within the industry. Zoe also has over a decade of experience in retail with Australian fashion brands and works with industry as a sustainability and impact advisor.