Autumn Sanders

Communications and Innovation Coordinator

Autumn brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work at Skills Society, combining formal design training with a hands-on approach. With a background in visual communication and industrial design and a strong interest in the built environment, she is curious about how systems and spaces often reflect dominant narratives, and how that can be reimagined.

She was first introduced to Skills Society through a university project focused on the Community Animator initiative. What stuck with her was the idea that when we design with the needs of marginalized communities in mind, we often end up creating something that works better for everyone. A simple but powerful example is curb cuts. Originally created to support wheelchair users, they now help people with strollers, bikes, walkers, and all kinds of mobility needs.

Since then, Autumn has worked in the social design space on projects ranging from mental health to public transit and long-term care, deepening her experience in co-design, storytelling, and systems thinking while collaborating closely with communities and people with lived experience.

Autumn brings persistence, creativity, and a deep empathy to her work. She cares about understanding the communities she is part of and finds that exploring, listening, and engaging are the best ways to do that. She is proud of her ability to stay open, try things, and keep showing up, even when it is uncomfortable.

She is also a big believer in the power of humour and tries to make space for lightness in her work.