Foossa’s Lee‑Sean Huang & David Colby Reed: Design for Participation, Story & Systems
Sun Oct 26 2025
🎧 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast
🎙️ What happens when storytelling meets systems thinking, and design is centered around participation, not just aesthetics? In this episode, we sit down with Lee-Sean Huang and David Colby Reed, co-founders of the strategy and design consultancy Foossa, to unpack how design can truly shape communities, spark dialogue, and drive social change.
We explore their creative origin story, their guiding philosophy of “Design for Participation,” and how they use narrative strategy, co-design, and service design to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. From working with foundations and governments to building equity-centered workshops, Foossa’s approach is both visionary and grounded in the everyday power of collaboration.
💡 Whether you’re a designer, strategist, educator, or just a curious creative trying to figure out how to make a meaningful impact, this conversation will leave you inspired, empowered, and thinking bigger about your own practice.
🎯 This episode is for you if:
You’re curious about using design for civic good, not just commercial gain
You want to blend storytelling with systems thinking
You’re navigating how to co-create with communities
You care about equity, facilitation, and creative empowerment
You’re tired of the “networking” game and want to build your own scene
🎁 Plus:
A quickfire round with fun questions on playlists, design tools, and underrated thinkers
Their biggest advice for emerging creatives
The one project they’d co-design with no limits
—
🌐 Connect with Foossa:Website: https://foossa.comInstagram: @foossa
🎨 More Episodes + Resources:https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast
—
#Foossa #DesignForParticipation #LeeSeanHuang #DavidColbyReed #StorytellingInDesign #SocialImpactDesign #SystemsThinking #NarrativeStrategy #EquityByDesign #CreativeLeadership #ArtSchoolGradPodcast
More
🎧 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast 🎙️ What happens when storytelling meets systems thinking, and design is centered around participation, not just aesthetics? In this episode, we sit down with Lee-Sean Huang and David Colby Reed, co-founders of the strategy and design consultancy Foossa, to unpack how design can truly shape communities, spark dialogue, and drive social change. We explore their creative origin story, their guiding philosophy of “Design for Participation,” and how they use narrative strategy, co-design, and service design to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. From working with foundations and governments to building equity-centered workshops, Foossa’s approach is both visionary and grounded in the everyday power of collaboration. 💡 Whether you’re a designer, strategist, educator, or just a curious creative trying to figure out how to make a meaningful impact, this conversation will leave you inspired, empowered, and thinking bigger about your own practice. 🎯 This episode is for you if: You’re curious about using design for civic good, not just commercial gain You want to blend storytelling with systems thinking You’re navigating how to co-create with communities You care about equity, facilitation, and creative empowerment You’re tired of the “networking” game and want to build your own scene 🎁 Plus: A quickfire round with fun questions on playlists, design tools, and underrated thinkers Their biggest advice for emerging creatives The one project they’d co-design with no limits — 🌐 Connect with Foossa:Website: https://foossa.comInstagram: @foossa 🎨 More Episodes + Resources:https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast — #Foossa #DesignForParticipation #LeeSeanHuang #DavidColbyReed #StorytellingInDesign #SocialImpactDesign #SystemsThinking #NarrativeStrategy #EquityByDesign #CreativeLeadership #ArtSchoolGradPodcast