The Current: CoDesign in Practice

Join us for a virtual lightning talk with Parsons student Monisha Raju and Gamar Markarian about the broader challenges of co-design.

Join CoDesign Collaborative for The Current, a virtual, student-led lightning talk series highlighting vital topics in design, on May 29, 12:30-1 pm ET / 9:30-10 am PT to discuss Co-Design with Parsons Design student Monisha Raju and multidisciplinary designer, strategist, and storyteller, Gamar Markarian.

“Co-design brings together lived experience, lived expertise and professional experience to learn from each other and make things better – by design.” – McKercher, K. A. (2020), Beyond sticky notes

In the 21st century, the boundaries of design as a discipline have expanded, evolving from a siloed field into a collaborative and multidisciplinary practice. Design schools now prepare students not only to be makers but also to become co-creators, facilitators, and systems thinkers. Designers are equipped with adaptable ways of thinking that can be applied across diverse roles and sectors—from grassroots community work to corporate environments.

This evolution positions designers to collaborate meaningfully with communities, empowering them to collectively author their futures. However, co-design is not without its challenges. Its practice varies significantly depending on the organizational context, requiring adaptability and sensitivity to different dynamics.

This talk will explore the broader disciplinary challenges of co-design, drawing from the speaker’s experiences—from working closely with communities to navigating the transition into corporate spaces and addressing:

• The real-world challenges of practicing co-design approaches.
• How designers and community-centered practitioners can celebrate shared knowledge without being extractive.
• How we, as designers, can bring our expertise, skills, and commitment to co-design into diverse organizational contexts, particularly in corporate environments.

About Monisha Raju:

Monisha is a graduate student in the Strategic Design and Management Program. She is a trained architect with experience working with multidisciplinary design practices in India. Her work is at the intersection of contextually sensitive design, cultural history, and community engagement. She has designed and worked on projects ranging from museum experiences to housing for elderly communities, with a strong focus on sustainable materials and thoughtful design. She has also explored the work–live relationships of communities involved in traditional crafts in India, aiming to understand and support the systems that sustain these practices. Outside of her academic and professional work, Monisha is drawn to hands-on artistic practices. She is skilled in painting with different mediums, enjoys visiting museums, organizing and curating workshops. Lately, she enjoys running through New York City’s neighborhoods, drawing inspiration from its layered stories.

About Gamar Markarian:

Gamar Markarian is a multidisciplinary designer, strategist, and visual storyteller with over 17 years of experience, specializing in planetary-centered design, systems thinking, and community engagement. As a design strategist, she believes creativity thrives through collective effort and has spent 8 years with Philadelphia Mural Arts, facilitating community-driven collaborative projects. Gamar values inclusivity and collaboration, weaving storytelling into her work to connect people, ideas, and places. She also teaches in the Strategic Design and Management (BBA) program at Parsons The New School for Design, where she coordinates the Design Research 1: Methods course. Gamar herself is a graduate of the MS in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons. Outside of work, she celebrates her heritage through cooking and finds joy in creating new friendships and meaningful connections.