Design for Good is a non-profit alliance with a clear mission, to build, train and foster a global creative community to design direct and lasting impact for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On a breadth and scale only possible through cross-company collaboration.

What sets Design for Good apart is its unwavering commitment to the United Nations SDGs not just as global goals, but as guiding principles for collaboration. The alliance consciously partners with local development organisations (NGOs and charities), recognising that meaningful impact requires collaboration and a shared set of guiding principles.

Guiding Principles of the Design for Good Alliance

The alliance operates through a carefully structured process that ensures both local relevance and global scalability:

• Start with development organisations (local NGOs and charities) from the outset

• Build cross-company teams of the world’s best designers

• Coach and train the teams to deliver positive social change

• Make all solutions open-source intellectual property

• Transition to development organisations for implementation.

This systematic approach ensures that design solutions are not only innovative but also practical and impactful in real-world contexts.

Our Strategic Partnership

Design for Good engaged Raven with a unique challenge; to help build a mentorship programme to guide and drive the design teams through their projects to arrive at solutions that deliver positive impact.

Working in close partnership with the Design for Good team and one of its alliance members Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika, we defined the structure for a mentorship program that would guide their teams through their projects, supporting them in delivery and direction.

This approach included identifying the skills needed, the experience requirements, the profile types and the responsibilities of mentors.

We then worked closely with Design for Good to leverage our global network of design industry experts to onboard mentors to each of the now active 30 project teams. 

Outcome

Design for Good has launched its first-ever mentorship program, providing ongoing support from design industry experts. 

We’ve onboarded 30 mentors globally from leading organisations such as Google, Ford, JP Morgan, IBM, Tesco, and many more. The mentors bring their extensive experience leading design teams to provide guidance and support to the Design for Good design teams.

“Working with the design professionals in the Design for Good effort has been inspiring and delightful. Seeing their enthusiasm in action and experiencing how they can use their skills for the greater good has made me realise how much good design can do." Javier Bargas, DfG Mentor & Founder at Astrolabium

Projects are ongoing and we continue to support both the mentors and Design for Good as an organisation.

As mentor community managers, working alongside the fantastic Martin Dawson, Raven plays a crucial role in connecting Design for Good's global mentor network of aligned professionals. 

"A special mention to Raven, whose partnership with Design for Good has elevated the program by connecting us with a community of exceptional mentors. Their expertise and network within the design industry have been key to shaping such a high-quality, impactful initiative." Tom Smith DfG Mentor & Senior Director of Design at Conde Naste

Our responsibility includes:

• Facilitating knowledge exchange between mentors

• Building bridges between design professionals committed to positive impact

• Ensuring design solutions benefit from diverse, values-driven expertise

Our partnership with Design for Good represents our commitment to improve life through design. By managing the mentor community within this alliance, we're supporting our shared purpose for lasting impact.

“Raven’s expertise, insight and commitment to fostering meaningful collaborations have been key to shaping a programme that truly empowers our mentors and design teams. Together, we have built a global mentor community that will have a lasting impact” Cecilia Brenner, Managing Director, Design for Good.

Looking Forward

As part of Design for Good, we're proud to support an alliance that places United Nations SDGs at the heart of its mission. The mentor community we manage helps ensure that knowledge and expertise flow between professionals and organisations genuinely committed to create positive social and environmental impact.

Together with the alliance partners, we're demonstrating how ethical, collaborative design can address global challenges while staying true to the principles of sustainable development.