Spring Graduate Studio, RISD. Compelled by a mix of moral and professional motives, many designers have turned to politics. It’s urgent, it’s consequential and it’s everywhere. The course will pay particular interest to how design overlaps with the political sector in these areas: activism, technology, manufacturing systems, public engagement, and speculative futures. The curriculum allows for multi- and cross-disciplinary work and will benefit students looking to add to existing bodies of work — particularly those in their final semester. The course aims to build a community of students who want to not only make political work, but to engage in the political realm. The classroom will provide a place to debrief the political discourse near and far, with the goal of getting students with diverse locales and beliefs to share and connect as makers. The course will include local politicians and community groups who will contextualize design within larger systems.