SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN CONSULTANCY

Design led by the people it’s for.

Illustration of diverse people engaging with celestial and nature elements, including holding stars and planets, with a backdrop of hills, trees, and cityscape under a starry sky.

We're the design partner for organizations taking on social and environmental challenges.

WHO WE ARE

The design partner for changemakers and visionaries.

We are a nonprofit design firm focused on addressing social and environmental challenges. We partner with organizations and community groups around the globe to use design, engineering and innovation to advance community development, social equity and environmental sustainability.

Since 2008, we've worked alongside underserved communities and the organizations supporting them, taking on the deep, structural causes of inequality and injustice. Together, we have designed services, digital platforms, physical products, design frameworks and other innovative solutions.

Our Story

A group of women sitting around a green table engaged in conversation. One woman in a blue headscarf is speaking, while others, some wearing pink or purple head coverings, are listening and smiling. The table is scattered with papers, markers, and water bottles.

OUR MISSION

Catapult Design improves the quality of life of underserved communities through innovative and accessible design.

How do we do it?

We bring together a global network of local partners, designers, engineers and implementers. Our network brings together professionals across:

Human-Centered Design
Engineering
Architecture
Sustainability
Other fields

We work hand-in-hand with our partners to identify needs and priorities, collectively envision the futures we hope to create, and implement the proposed ideas together.

A woman wearing glasses and a white face mask is leaning over a table, working on a project with various craft supplies and tools. The table is covered with colorful markers, scissors, tape, and other craft items. In the background, there is a computer monitor, bottles of disinfectant, and a green storage box on a gray wall.

Our approach to community innovation

When working with grass-roots community innovation projects, we take a local leadership approach. We don’t assume needs or solutions. We support community leaders, community members and local experts. The community leads the project and local knowledge guides collective decisions.

18+

Years designing alongside underserved communities

58+

Projects across health, education, equity, and policy

13+

Countries we’ve worked in

12+

Languages used in community engagement

Colorful illustrated cards with titles and artwork. Topics include perspective, uncertainty, design, inspiration, and more. The cards feature diverse characters and vibrant backgrounds.

NEW RESOURCE

Introducing Design with Us!

Design With Us is a resource we built to help clients, partners, and community collaborators better understand our approach to community-led design. We share the tools, reflections, and practices that shape our process, from building trust and navigating uncertainty to making sense of complexity through collaborative decision making.

Alongside practical methods, Design With Us also explores the emotional realities of participatory work, such as aspiration, fear, and ambiguity, and how those feelings can serve as indicators of where care is needed and how stronger partnerships can be built over time.

Explore Design with Us