Ananya Khaitan on Design for Justice at Design Indaba

At Design Indaba's 25th Edition, India-based communication designer and social innovator Ananya Khaitan delivered a talk on using design to advocate for justice, dignity, and systemic change. His multidisciplinary practice explores intersections between communication design, public health, and social equity, employing storytelling and participatory design to address complex societal challenges in India. Khaitan shared projects developed with vulnerable communities, discussing how communication design can improve access to healthcare, legal rights, and social services for marginalized groups. He framed communication design as infrastructure capable of shaping behavior, awareness, and civic participation, emphasizing that information can be life-saving when designed with empathy and cultural understanding. A recurring theme was designers' responsibility to confront structural inequality and misinformation, particularly where literacy barriers, stigma, or institutional distrust hinder access to critical information. Khaitan argued that thoughtful design interventions can foster agency, trust, and social inclusion.