‘Telling Stories that are not Ours:’ Indigenous designer Jennifer Taback to speak at Laurier Feb. 27

Jan. 30, 2024

Wilfrid Laurier University’s User Experience Design program will host a public lecture Feb. 27 focused on cultural storytelling in design by guest speaker Jennifer Taback, designer and co-founder of Design de Plume, a women-led, Indigenous design firm based in Sudbury.

Designers talk at length about storytelling, but what if those stories are from a different cultural community? Taback will speak about her experience as an urban, Indigenous designer and how she and her team have learned to help under-served communities broadcast their messages in ways that are true to their stories.

“As designers and scholars, it is critical that we engage in work that can help to shape a better, more inclusive world that better reflects the lived experiences of all peoples,” says Abby Goodrum, professor and User Experience Design program coordinator at Laurier.

Taback is a partner and thought leader at Design de Plume and member of the Shawanaga First Nation. She sees herself as a visual translator, helping to create connections and use emerging technology to facilitate dialogue. With 15 years of experience in the field, Design de Plume’s current roster of clients includes Meta, Johns Hopkins University and the World Wildlife Fund. Taback currently serves in the role of listener, advisor and strategist on projects that venture into new and unknown territories, while acknowledging the experiences and stories of the past.

Taback’s lecture, titled “Telling Stories that are not Ours,” takes place Feb. 27 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Research and Academic Centre East, Room RCE004, on Laurier’s Brantford campus. All are welcome at the free event, funded by the Laurier Brantford Grants Program and the Student Alumni Association. Register to attend on Eventbrite.