Community Design Studio was born from its founders’ deep love for Winston-Salem and their vision of an equitable, sustainable future for the city and its people.

Inspired by the transformative potential of design thinking in graphic design, architecture, environmental design, and industrial design, a group of designers began to ask: How might this problem-solving approach address the complex challenges facing communities—issues like homelessness, environmental degradation, and systemic racism?

In the summer of 2011, these designers came together to create a name and mission for a one-of-a-kind organization dedicated to integrating design into the conversations shaping Winston-Salem’s future. This effort gave rise to Community Design Studio.

From its inception, Community Design Studio has followed a design-driven methodology. It starts with research and empathy—learning from national leaders in public interest design and from local nonprofits tackling community challenges. With this knowledge, the studio designed a model tailored to Winston-Salem’s unique context. Through events and partnerships, this model was prototyped, tested, and refined. Each iteration of this process brought valuable lessons, sparking new cycles of design and innovation.

This commitment to iterative learning has allowed Community Design Studio to carve out its role in Winston-Salem and the broader field of public interest design. In a city teeming with creativity, goodwill, and nonprofit organizations, the studio has distinguished itself as a convener of existing resources. Positioned as the next generation of the community design centers of the 1960s, the studio focuses on process over product, community engagement over designer-led solutions, and collective impact over siloed expertise.

Today, Community Design Studio stands firm in its mission: to amplify diverse voices in shaping our shared future. It has cultivated strong community partnerships rooted in the value of the design process. The studio believes that when design thinking and prototyping are strategically applied to leverage collective expertise, they can illuminate bold, innovative solutions to the grand challenges of our time.