Design Conversations

This month, the Columbus Design Collective will welcome Yoonji Jung and Cory Shoemaker, co-founders of Story Engine and partners at Good Creatives, for their presentation, Designing Understanding: How Storytelling Turns Impact Into Action. Every day, organizations create life-changing moments, but many of those stories go undocumented and are eventually lost. In this session, Yoonji and Cory will explore why the real challenge for mission-driven organizations isn't storytelling. It's story capture. They'll share how under-resourced teams can build simple systems to capture authentic stories, preserve meaningful experiences, and communicate their impact more effectively. Attendees will learn: -Why storytelling problems are often story capture problems -The hidden cost of undocumented stories -How Story Engine helps organizations preserve authentic experiences -How captured stories can support fundraising, donor engagement, reports, and community trust Whether you're a designer, marketer, nonprofit leader, educator, or community builder, you'll leave with practical ideas for turning everyday moments into lasting connection and action. The event will take place on Tuesday, August 12, at the Red Room in the BCPL Downtown Branch. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin at 6:15 p.m.