Desiree Hernandez Ibinarriaga, a Mexican woman with Chamula (Mayan), Nahua (Aztec) and Euskaldunak (Basque) heritage. She is a collaborative and social design maker and thinker, Lecturer at MADA, part of the Wominjeka Djeembana Research Lab cohort and Unit Coordinator for Indigenous Higher Degrees by Research. She has over 14 years of experience in the design field, across diverse disciplines, such as sustainability, social, furniture, interior, and Indigenous design. Desiree’s work focuses on better ways of partnership and communication between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through design, by recognising the relationality between people and Place while privileging Indigenous knowledges.

She is the recipient of numerous grants including, from Room to Breathe a program and works towards a best-practice design model for enhancing the quality of life of First Nations people living in remote Northern Territory communities. (AUD$112,774). Redesign and remake the Cultural House and Public Library in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca funded by CIEL, Federal Government in Puerto Escondido and fundraising  (AUD$25,000). Summer camp and redesign of the school Agua Blanca, Oaxaca and redesign of the primary school in Indigenous community Agua Blanca, Oaxaca (AUD$5,000). Co-design workshop in an Indigenous community Agua Blanca, Oaxaca with Indigenous peoples and 13 students from Bachelor and Master, funded by UNAM and UAM-X Universities (AUD$15,000).