Uniting design

Founded by London-based interior designers Sophie Ashby of Studio Ashby and Alex Dauley of Dauley Design, United in Design is a charitable organisation set up to address the lack of diversity within the design field. Aidan Imanova speaks to the founders to find out more.

- Aidan Imanova

How would you define United in Design? Alex Dauley: In essence, United in Design aims to address the inequalities present across the design industry and provide actionable avenues for change. We define ourselves as an organisation that helps to educate and open pathways into interior design. With United in Design, we hope to play a part in making interior design an accessible and obtainable career choice, working closely with the industry to tackle the obstacles preventing this by correcting the balance and levelling the playing field.

What prompted you to start United by Design? Sophie Ashby: On 4 June 2020, I issued a statement on the Studio Ashby Instagram feed, in response to the murder of George Floyd and the global anti-racism movement, acknowledging the studio’s own shortcomings in running a diverse company and also some uncomfortable home truths about the elitist and exclusionary nature of the design world. United in Design is a product of the outpouring of energy and the drive for change I received in response to this post, having spoken to so many people and listened to their stories of struggle, sidelining and missed opportunities.