Photo courtesy of the Design Industry Advisory Committee website.
The OCAD U community is deeply saddened by the loss of design leader Arlene Gould. Gould died on March 2, 2023, at the age of 76.
“Arlene Gould was a fierce and passionate advocate for design and the importance of design policy and strategy for Canada,” says Dr. Sara Diamond, President Emerita and University Research Chair.
“As a talented researcher, academic and convener of the Design Industry Advisory Committee, she toiled relentlessly to establish the value that design brings to all facets of life. We must continue to carry her torch.”
About Arlene Gould
Arlene Gould was a researcher, academic and educator who worked relentlessly to establish design policy, established the Design Industry Advisory Committee and undertook both Toronto and federal design industry studies.
Gould worked closely with OCAD U and others in the design community on a number of campaigns to enhance federal, provincial and municipal recognition of design and the design industries.
She graduated from the University of Toronto, then moved abroad to Paris and London. She completed her MBA at London Business School, where she discovered her true passion for design “and how it underpins everything about our world”, according to her recent obituary.
For the 35 years that followed, Gould championed design and its intersections with sustainability and urban planning at all levels of government and institution. Her obituary notes her “remarkable creative drive, sharp sense of humour and, most of all, her boundless devotion to her family.”
Source
The Globe and Mail