By Sammie Garrity l October 26, 2026

In this episode of GridgeFridge, we sit down with Esther Kang, an assistant professor of design studies in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

With a background in art, and social and civic design, Kang has built a career rooted in exploring how design shapes communities, public participation and the systems people interact with every day.

Before coming to UW–Madison, Kang spent over a decade working as a civic designer, strategist and researcher on projects with the federal government and other organizations. Today, she brings those experiences with her into her teaching and community-engaged research.

Kang’s current research focuses on hyperscale data center proposals in Wisconsin and how they impact rural and low-income communities. Her work looks at how these projects and proposals take shape, who participates in the decision-making process and how communities experience and respond to changes in their surrounding environments.

Alongside this research, Kang is involved in projects utilizing oral histories, community archives, mapping and is developing a book manuscript. She is working with community members to document their experiences and better understand the relationships between technology, infrastructure and public participation. This research challenges traditional understandings of design, showing how decisions about land use, government and property development can shape and affect communities and the people within them.

Outside of her research projects, Kang brings the same guiding principles into the classroom. She leads a civic design course developed in partnership with the Madison City Clerk’s Office, encouraging students to consider how design can contribute to public services and community-engaged work. This approach represents the importance of working with communities rather than just designing for them.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kang’s research, teaching and community-engaged work, visit her faculty page through the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology.