One for One
One for One
The relationship between the museum and One for One (formerly Ferrer Foundation) began because we shared an accountant-turned-board-member. Introductions were made, gears started turning, and as Humphrey Bogart said in Casablanca, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
One For One is a non-profit organization supporting young adults living in Chicago neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime and joblessness. They are dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence by enriching the lives of youth, allowing them to connect and thrive within their communities and beyond. Through programming, workshops, high-touch mentorship and employment, One for One provides opportunities that nurture values and integrity, and help individuals forge a positive future. Our first collaboration was a fundraiser event in 2014. One for One families recorded a video that played during the event. Ishmael Adams, Upendo, Alex Solis, Brandon Breaux, Kyle Poff, Cody Hudson, Michael Renaud, Michael Savona, Jason Pickleman, Sara Frisk, Nico Gibson, and Will Miller contributed original artwork to be auctioned at the Designing Hope event hosted at the museum.
Workshops
One for One and the museum continue to collaborate in many different ways, both at the organizational level and through design workshops. Workshops are always hands on and focus on experimentation, collaboration, and sharing. Most recently, students created flags for the Great Ideas of Humanity: Passing the Torch exhibition in Spring 2020.
In August 2019, students also created light pole banners for State Street in celebration of the Year of Chicago Theatre in partnership with the Chicago Loop Alliance. Reinterpreting the Chicago Theatre, Nederlander, Goodman, Cadilac Palace, and CIBC marquees through a gridded dot pattern, the One for One young adults made a series of five banners that were on display in August 2019 and January 2020.
In Summer 2020, museum staff met One for One at Herban Produce for a storyboarding workshop. The young adults who participated were in the summer internship program at Herban Produce. Taking care to follow COVID-19 safety precautions, we used five nearby objects to develop a short story and discussed how to share our ideas visually. Afterwards, the museum staff went on a One for One-led tour of the gardens!
Designathon
In Fall 2018, Eight Bit Studios approached the museum with the idea of doing a community-driven Designathon. Eight Bit wanted designers from around Chicagoland to come together to develop solutions for a broad design question that would make a big impact. We loved this idea, and proposed One for One as the Designathon’s focus.
After speaking with One for One leadership, the question to answer was how to position the new gardening program. In a full-day event, designers converged at the Design Museum, coming together to brainstorm, design, and present ideas to the One for One team.
It takes time to develop the trust and understanding required for deep partnerships with other organizations. The collaboration between One for One and the museum is proof of concept evidence of how educating, inspiring, and fostering innovation through design can make a thoughtful, positive impact. We look forward to continuing to work with One for One, and building unique, impactful relationships with other groups in Chicago and beyond.