Shaping liberatory futures
by design

In times like these, the status quo isn’t enough.

Pause and Effect is a decolonial design studio that helps mission-driven organizations move beyond surface-level equity practices, to create solutions that don’t just adapt to change but actively shape the world we want future generations to inherit.

(breathe…)

Human-Centered Design is dying.

A diagram contrasts human centered design with relational design. On the left, a triangle represents human supremacy and privilege, with humans at the top, animals and plants at the bottom. On the right, a circle represents a holistic ecosystem

We are out of balance. Can you feel it?

Eurocentric approaches to design have been insufficient in producing a healthy world for people and planet. While social, political, and environmental conditions are collapsing. they gesture towards another way of being and making.

Fungi remind us that on the other side of decay is transformation. At Pause and Effect, we help organizations hospice outdated design practices and cultivate approaches that restore balance—between humans, the land, and the more-than-human world.

Let’s work together

  • butterfly emerging from cocoon

    Advisory Services

    We provide responsible guidance through design reviews, visionary consulting, and research to help teams clarify challenges, identify opportunities and cultivate resilience.

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    Capacity Building

    We offer tailored learning experiences and design coaching, enabling teams and individuals to cultivate skills and practices for sustained impact.

We think we’re pretty rad.

But don’t take our word for it…

Redesigning the educator onboarding experience

Envisioning resilient futures in the plant-based industry

Crafting impactful narratives with responsibility and care

Liberation is a practice

an image of Sabrina and mayed outdoors standing next to a tree with their hands resting against the tree trunk and they are looking upward toward the sky, away from the camera

In present day, we are collectively bearing witness to the horrors of colonial violence around the world. We are witnessing the erasure of Indigenous presence, knowledge systems, stories, future generations, shorelines, and landscapes - throughout the globe, and where we live, on Turtle Island.

If you’re interested in working with us, we think you should know who we are and what we practice, because having integrity in this work is essential.