Design Redefined: Holding Our Attention

In collaboration with the MIT Museum and Innovators for PurposeFeb 26, 2026

About

Design Redefined is a series of events seeking to challenge our perception of design as a process of enhancing aesthetics, usability, or marketability and moving towards a deeper understanding of it as a powerful tool for change.

Appropriate for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as design professionals, each session will feature a panel discussion featuring thought leaders, followed by a hands-on exploration of key design principles, light refreshments, and networking. This series is a collaboration with the MIT Museum and Innovators for Purpose.

Participation is free with museum admission. High school students receive free admission but must register in advance.

Holding our Attention

We are all tied to our phones on a daily basis. Many of us even struggle to disconnect from our devices. This isn’t a personal failing — it’s by design.

In this workshop, we’ll look at how platforms use emotional and behavioral cues to pull us back in, and how new research is moving beyond conventional tools such as timers and screen time limits toward approaches that respond to our real-time state of mind.

Together, we’ll explore what it takes to build technology that supports well-being, not addiction.

ACCESSIBILITY

Our events are enriched by your presence and we are committed to making them accessible to everyone.

Please email us at [email protected] to request accommodations.