Designing with purpose: how UC transformed one student’s design vision

To say that UC has exceeded expectations for Grace Nunn, DAAP ’27, would be an understatement. She arrived on campus expecting to blend her love of art with a career in communication design that provided an economically feasible path forward. What she did not expect was a transformation in how she viewed the purpose of design.  

“Much of our curriculum in DAAP is focused on questions like, ‘Why are you doing this? Why does it matter?’” Nunn explains. “Going into the communication design field, I wasn’t thinking that way specifically. But DAAP has really changed my mindset to think about people first when I’m considering what to design or create, rather than, ‘Oh, this would look pretty.’ It has refocused my view of the design process.”

As the oldest of five children — four of whom will likely be in college during her final year — Nunn is grateful for the donors who have supported her scholarships. She says they have reduced the financial burden on her parents and herself while enabling her to embrace her college experience to the fullest.

“Having to work while in school is a mental toll that a lot of students face,” Nunn says. “The scholarships have allowed me to lean more heavily on the extracurriculars I’m passionate about and the classes that I want to put my full effort into, rather than having to go to work after being in class all day. It has really reduced that toll for me.”

Extracurricular opportunities have allowed a shy individual who came to UC from suburban Cincinnati expecting to see “the same people from high school” to evolve into a student leader who has met “amazing people from all over.” Those extracurricular experiences, she says, “have enabled me to learn about other perspectives and talk to students I wouldn’t have had a chance to be friends with otherwise.”

She is director of operations of the Programs and Activities Council, has served as vice president and senator of the DAAP Tribunal, and was recently elected the internal holdover senator for the entirety of student government. Away from campus, she led the design and marketing team for the revival of the Clifton Heights Music Festival, creating a new logo and brand identity for the event. This year she will be the event’s co-director.

Looking ahead, Nunn seeks to be an advocate “for those who aren’t typically thought of first” by making experiences and products accessible. “In the past, we were taught to design for the ‘typical’ user, but what about the users who fall outside of that assumption? I believe that if we design for those users at the start, we improve the experience for everyone.”

Nunn has put this concept into action during two co-op rotations with the Live Well Collaborative, where she delivered stakeholder presentations using design storytelling while synthesizing key insights via data-driven research methods.

In the years following graduation, Nunn envisions herself making the world better through design. “I hope to be in a position where I’m able to make something that makes every day more inclusive, whether it’s a product or a space or a system. I want to be in a position where I can make design work for everyone. UC has helped me build that foundation through DAAP, equipping me with the empathy and perspective and experiences that enable me to have this vision.”

Featured image at top: Grace Nunn is a student in UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. Photo/UC Alumni Association