Climate Designers community,

As we close out the year, we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate all that we’ve done together. We would be nowhere without all of our amazing volunteers and Supporting Members. Thank you to all those who contributed towards furthering this important work.

We are a 100% volunteer-led and member-supported organization. While what we offer is largely free, it is not free to run this organization. If you appreciate the work we do and would like to see it continue, we would be immeasurably grateful for your support today.

And to all those who are already Supporting Members, thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Closing Out 2024

We've done a lot this year, and none of it would have been possible without our our team of incredible volunteers! Read on for highlights from both our central team and individual Chapters & Hubs.

Content & Programs

Climate Designers platforms many programs and volunteer projects for both designers and design educators. Here are some projects from the year:

• ​Our Revamped Newsletter: We launched a new monthly newsletter in October to highlight the incredible work of our team, the larger Climate Designers community, and that of designers across the world innovating at the intersection of Design and Climate. Check out our latest newsletter issues and if you are not subscribed sign up here!​
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• ​New Wave Research Project: This project centers students’ experiences at the intersection of climate change and design education. The New Wave team produces reports to inform the future of design education, and published their 2023/2024 report in early 2024.
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• ​Project Blue Sky: This in-person workshop is a unique two-week experience to create climate-positive work that blooms out of the Cuyama Valley of California. We had our second Blue Sky workshop in the Spring, and shared the project results with a team of design experts and the broader community. All proceeds from Project Blue Sky have gone towards supporting the Climate Designers organization.
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• ​A Field Guide to Climate Design: Matt McGillvray is a long-time volunteer and lead writer for the Field Guide blog on Climate Designers. Earlier this year, he released a collection of his essays accompanied by artwork from nine artists as an ebook, A Field Guide to Climate Design. It is a beautiful book and compilation of work.
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• ​Climify Podcast: Eric Benson and the Climify podcast team released a stellar season of interviews focused on systems change. Listen to season 4 everywhere you get your podcasts.
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• ​Doom & Bloom Podcast: Marc O’Brien and the podcast team launched a new podcast, Doom & Bloom. Listen to the trailer everywhere you get your podcasts. New episodes coming soon.

Chapter & Hub Events

Climate Designers has 15 Chapters & Hubs around the world who gather both in person and online for larger regions. This year our Chapters & Hubs collectively hosted 55+ events that reached more than 1500 people.

We have several new Chapters in the queue, and look forward to supporting anyone who wants to host local events in their region. Interested in becoming a Chapter or Hub leader? Learn more here.

Here are highlights from some of our most active Chapters this year. Many other Chapters and Hubs hosted events as well, from our Japan Hub to our UK Hub.

• The Boston Chapter (USA) hosted a number of events this year ranging from field trips to workshops to networking nights.
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• The Bay Area Chapter (USA) kept it simple this year with park hangs and bar nights. Their event from San Francisco Climate Week had a great turnout and was well received by the community.
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• The Los Angeles Chapter (USA) hosted a ton of events this year. Between LA’s first Climate Week and a number of joint projects, they partnered with 14+ organizations this year on events ranging from art circles to film screenings to workshops.
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• The Milan Chapter (Italy) got its first year off to a great start with a series of workshops and talks, including an event during Milan Design Week.
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• The New York Chapter (USA) hosted an event during Climate Week NYC, a trash pickup day, and others at parks and public spaces throughout the year.
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• The Seattle Chapter (USA) hosted a long series of events (12! wow!) during the Pacific Northwest Climate Week in July, with a focus on hosting conversations with those outside of the design world using design thinking processes.
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• The Singapore Chapter hosted facilitated events and workshops this year with a focus on biodiversity and designing with nature.
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• The Toronto Chapter (Canada) hosted several thoughtful events this year with conversations centered on storytelling, materials, and climate justice.

Team Reflections

My favourite moment from this year for the Toronto chapter was partnering with DesignWith to host an event. The discussion around circular design and social impact, along with a hands-on workshop, was really inspiring. - Kaylyn Belcourt, Climate Designers Toronto​

My favorite event from the Climate Designers Bay Area this year was when we met in Golden Gate park for our Imagining Climate Futures meetup to talk about an art installation. Being a group of designers, the conversation was heated and full of ideas about the potential for storytelling and futurist thinking in public spaces. - Natalie Walsh, Climate Designers Bay Area​

This year was great for the Climate Designers Boston Chapter. We had an event every month and had returning community members as well as newcomers each time, and have roughly 75 people on our email list. Raissa, Emma and I have been able to make a great team together as we come up with ideas and we all know what to do in order to promote the event. I look forward to future events working with them! - Brett Duboff, Climate Designers Boston​

In our first year of activity, my favorite moment from Climate Designers Milan was hosting an event at La Triennale di Milano, a design museum recognized as one of the world's leading cultural institutions. It was wonderful to bring our community together in a place that has always inspired us, where we have learned so much about design and contemporary global issues, including climate change. - Ana Luiza Magalhães and Ana Carolina Cardoso, Climate Designers Milan.

My favorite moment from Climate Designers Japan this year was the meetup we held with a Danish design company, where we discussed the theme of degrowth and explored art installations that brought the reality of wildfires closer to us. I was also truly delighted that we welcomed new members to our hub this year and had the opportunity to talk about the future of Climate Designers Japan. As we head toward the end of the year, I’m incredibly excited about co-hosting a screening of From Soil to Soul with the LA Chapter. These things wouldn't be happening with out this community. Thank you. - Toshi Otsuka, Japan Hub​

In 2024, the LA Chapter hosted so many, and such a wide variety of, events. It has really felt like we’ve been building a community, making friends, and getting to know everyone better this year. As a chapter co-lead, I feel more confident having the support of the Climate Designers organization when I attend climate events myself and meet new collaborators. - Rachel Cellinese, Climate Designers Los Angeles

Keep This Work Going

Your support allows us to keep the lights on and continue to offer as much as we do for free. Help us continue to do this important work. Your generosity benefits the entire Design and Climate community.

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