Community Design Studio

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United States
Winston-Salem, NC
Community Design Studio

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Community Design Studio is a not-for-profit collective of multidisciplinary designers who play a catalytic role in shaping W-S, NC, bringing people together through education & experimentation to creatively address systemic challenges via design thinking.

08/31/2026

August has been a quieter month for us. Leadership by Design is behind us, the fall planning season is ahead, and this is the stretch where we sort through what we learned and get ready for what's next.

If you're new here, welcome. There's more coming this fall.

08/24/2026

Leadership by Design wrapped up over a month ago, and we're still thinking about it.

What sticks with us isn't only what the students built. but how they talked about it afterward, breaking down their own thinking, naming what worked and what they'd change next time. We believe reflection is a skill on its own, and something they'll use long after the projects are finished.

08/21/2026

Design with, not for. It's the shortest way we know to explain what CDS does differently. We don't show up with a finished plan. We show up with questions, and we build the answer together with the people who'll actually use the space.

That's the difference between a project done to a neighborhood and one done alongside it.

08/19/2026

Our board doesn't get a lot of spotlight, and most of them like it that way.

They show up for meetings after full workdays, read through proposals on their own time, and make our programs stronger.

None of what CDS does happens without that steady, unpaid commitment. Thank you to the people who do this work quietly.

08/17/2026

What do we mean when we say "belonging by design"?

It means the people who use a space had a hand in shaping it, a park, a classroom, a neighborhood corner. When people help design the places they live in, those places tend to fit them better.

08/15/2026

Thank you. Because of this community, we EXCEEDED our goal for our matching campaign, raising $5,888 to help make sure every student in our Leadership by Design program can take part, regardless of their family's ability to pay.

This wouldn't have been possible without individual donors and the generosity of Grace and Sal Patiño of Chavo Design, who matched every gift up to $2,500.

This campaign ran alongside our annual High School Program, where students spent the week designing real solutions alongside the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood. Between the program and your generosity, it's a good reminder of what this community can do together.

Thank you for designing with us.

08/14/2026

Board applications close tonight. If you care about Winston-Salem and want a real hand in shaping how design serves this community, we'd love to hear from you. You don't need a design background, just curiosity and follow-through.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/gcsb11ENGhDf88Yw8.

08/13/2026

We had a super energetic meeting this morning with five new faces joining the table (sadly, not pictured because we got excited talking), including some inspiring young people!

Legos were enjoyed by participants of all ages, and we brainstormed potential future collaborations with The Dwelling. We hope to bring some of the people they serve into the design process to address the challenge: How do you do laundry when you have no home?

Sound like fun? Join us at our monthly drop-in community design coffee. We can't wait to get to know you!

08/12/2026

Our monthly Coffee Meetup is this Thursday, August 13 from 8:30 to 10am. Whether you've been coming for months or this is your first time hearing about us, you're welcome. Come grab a cup and meet the people behind Community Design Studio.

07/27/2026

Friday wrapped our 8th annual Leadership by Design High School program, and we are so proud of this group of students.

Spending this week with the Boston-Thurmond community and Boston-Thurmond United was a privilege. The designs these students created are thoughtful, well-made, and built with real care. This is what we mean when we say design with, not for: creating alongside the people who will actually use and live with the work, not on their behalf.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Our volunteers, our community partners, and the students themselves, who spent the week learning, failing forward, and building something they can be proud of.

We're closing in on our matching goal: $2,059 raised toward $2,500. Every gift between now and the end of our campaign still gets matched dollar for dollar, so this is the moment it counts most.

Give at bit.ly/cdsmatch26.

Address

Winston-Salem, NC

Website

http://communitydesignstudio.org/

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