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AIGA Unidos

Maria de Mater O'Neill

Maria de Mater O'Neill Headshot
  • Creative Director
  • Rubberband Design Studio

Maria de Mater O'Neill is a Puerto Rican Doctor of Design practice. She focuses on resilience. It was her doctoral research: Resilience method for designers under stressors. From this, she moved to educational teaching under disaster. Her work at Rubberband Design Studio has a social focus. From making laws accessible, giving Design Thinking and co-design workshops to coffee farmers, to recently working with a climate organization for its transformation. Mari uses participatory and community design methodology; she approaches design from a political point of view, hence her emphasis on the decolonization of design. In a parallel universe, Mari is a fulltime hiker that loves to explore, hopes to cross eventually, and stay there. She promises she will send back her doppelganger.