Key Insights

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  Trauma differs fundamentally from stress or PTSD; it disrupts core meaning-making and belief systems.

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  Mass trauma from the pandemic will affect societal design and civic systems for decades to come.

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  Designers and social workers share complementary goals and should collaborate to create socially responsible work.

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  Trauma-informed care principles, originating in medicine, can be effectively adapted to design practice.

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  Trustworthy design requires transparency and proactive integrity to minimize inevitable harm.

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  Peer support and slow, careful pacing—moving at the speed of care—are vital in trauma-responsive design.

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  Radical participatory design demands significant time and care beyond good intentions.

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  Trauma is embodied and connected to memory, affecting both users and designers themselves.

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  Anti-racist design cannot exist without trauma-informed approaches; both require ongoing commitment.

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  Providing spaces for debrief and processing trauma among design teams sustains their well-being and effectiveness.

Notable Quotes