Storied Lives addresses intergenerational tension in black families through creative reflection and storytelling. Investigating, creating, and sharing personal narratives builds individual power and can start to break down generational barriers. By connecting those stories to a larger community narrative, this project aims to create an intentional and transformative space where creative storytelling can lead to healing.
Ryana Burrell
Ryana Burrell graduated from the University of Virginia in 2012 with a B.A. in Studio Art. She tried out a few different career paths after graduating, including corporate recruiting and UX design, but ultimately her desire to employ design as a tool to inspire and propel social change brought her to DSI. She is also a photographer, and loves working with black and white film in the darkroom. Ryana is passionate about a wide range of social justice issues, and is particularly interested in promoting civic engagement as a means to building positive progression in our society.
Since graduating from DSI, Ryana stayed in NYC and is now pursuing a career focused on civic engagement and access to voting. In April, she joined BallotReady as a Lead UX and Product Designer, focused on building products that will enable and encourage people to be more civically engaged, particularly at the local level. She is also working with Flox Studio as a copy writer/editor, and is excited for the opportunity to continue working with lots of DSI alumni there. One of her most exciting projects post-grad projects was serving as a Designer in Residence for the spring semester at DSI, along with her Out Labs Team and fellow DSI grads Grace Kang (’20) and Monica Tarriba (’20).
