Realizing Her Goals
Thanks to a RISD scholarship, Lindsey Moreau is focusing on using empathy to create meaningful experiences for users.
Although she had always loved art, Lindsey Moreau 21 ID was not sure it could be her career. “As a second-generation Haitian American, I was raised to believe that my only options were to become a doctor or a lawyer,” she says. “But I grew up in Miami, which has a diverse range of cultures, artistic expressions and identities. The city exposed me to different possibilities.”
At RISD she is enjoying the freedom to create without constraints. “I have been able to find myself as an artist because I can make mistakes, develop my ideas and turn concepts into something real,” says Moreau. “For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in problem-solving and art,” she says. “I believe that designers are here to shape meaningful experiences for our users. This is why I am passionate about understanding vulnerability— so I can design better systems, services and tools around lived experiences.”
Moreau is also deeply engaged in life outside of the studio and has found Black Artists and Designers (BAAD) to be an important student community for her. “BAAD supports exploring culture through dialogue. I often find myself in situations where I am the only one to speak up about issues of diversity. Because RISD does not have a large population of black students, BAAD provides an important sense of comfort and understanding,” she says.
She is also involved in the NASA Rover Club—a student-run organization that designs a two-person all-terrain rover for NASA’s Rover Challenge. “The hands-on approach and the way each detail was carefully thought out and discussed made me certain that I had chosen the right major,” she recalls.
Her immersive RISD experience is supported by the William W. Lane 60 ID Endowed Scholarship, established for Brown-RISD dual-degree students or those majoring in Industrial Design. “Financial aid is helping me tremendously. Without it, I would not have been able to attend RISD or study industrial design—it all seemed so far out of reach. I dreamed of going to RISD, but I was prepared to go elsewhere and major in another field if necessary,” she says. “My scholarship provides me with the opportunity to explore and attain the goals I have set for myself and my family.”
photos by Jo Sittenfeld MFA 08 PH
