Frames from a short film introducing the Sea Change Design Institute founded by Lauralee Alben.

Lauralee Alben is now part of a remarkable circle of design luminaries recognized as AIGA Fellows. Bonnie DeVarco’s astute and insightful interview covers the arc of Lauralee’s career and the pinnacle moments that shaped the soul of her life’s work.

Bonnie DeVarco: In the years that I have known you, I’ve learned so much from you as a friend and design pioneer. As a systems thinker and sensemaker, you inspire people and impact the world in significant ways.

Lauralee Alben: Thank you, Bonnie. We’re all in this together. My experience of designing change is that it’s a participatory process. Design transforms lives. It helps us evolve our world into a creative, connected, and compassionate one.

BD: Yes, I agree. Since we’re talking about design bringing us into relationship, let’s start with your definition.

LA: Rather than giving you a statement, let me frame it as a question…

How can design be the conscious planning and meaningful action that creates relationship—with humanity, nature, spirit, and time—in service of life?

This is my definition of design and my invitation. Not only to designers but to everyone. Because by this definition everyone can be (and is) a designer.

BD: Very eloquent. Let’s look closer at your design arc through the past four decades. You made a provocative statement about becoming an AIGA Fellow, “To each of our lives there is a beautiful arc, a unique pattern of evolution that forms from filaments of influence, inspiration, and fascination. Eventually this arc comes full circle and the whole of our precious lives comes into view.” As you look at your own arc spanning graphic design, experience design, transformation design, and Sea Change Design what’s coming into view?

LA: The center of the circle is coming into view. For me, design is a powerful laser beam inscribing the arc of my calling. From my vantage point now, I can see design as an interstitial space of transformation and a cradle of becomingness that holds all life as sacred.

BD: You’ve always pushed the boundaries of design. You speak from the perspective of someone who can see the whole and responds by birthing something new, as you’re doing now with “Design Consciousness.”

LA: “Design Consciousness” is an intentional way of being that comes from an awareness of the interconnected and interdependent nature of everything—and the commitment to co-design with life. At the confluence of nature, humanity, spirit, and time there is an infinite flow of transformation that we can join in. When we do, we can manifest miracles.

Solutions never before imagined can surface as we respond powerfully to these watershed times. There’s only one condition: We need to show up as whole human beings, to cultivate presence, alignment, connection, and flow within ourselves. We call this “Design Being.” At the Sea Change Design Institute, we foster this through consulting, coaching, workshops, keynotes, and teaching.

BD: So, design is really core to being human—our values, our ethics, our stance in life, our actions at this defining moment in history.

LA:

Design is core to our future. Which is why it’s important that we design consciously. What we design now defines our destiny.

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This is the first excerpt from Lauralee’s AIGA Fellow interview. You can read the entire interview on the AIGA SF website. Here’s the complete list of AIGA SF Fellows back to 1999.