Design Your World arrives in Spanish as OFS expands its vision to inspire young creators through the story of design

Design Your World arrives in Spanish as OFS expands its vision to inspire young creators through the story of design

by Monica Watkins

HUNTINGBURG, IN, Feb. 03, 2025 - In celebration of its second anniversary, OFS is excited to announce the launch of Diseña Tu Mundo, the Spanish edition of Design Your World. 

Written by OFS co-author and Director of Design Strategy Maria VanDeman, in collaboration with Doug Shapiro, this children’s book is crafted to inspire creativity, self-expression, and a love for design in young readers. 

The story follows Serena, a young girl who feels limited by her choices, but finds new inspiration when her grandmother begins transforming their home. As Serena embarks on a journey of self-expression through design, readers are encouraged to view design as a tool for creativity, empowerment, and shaping their own lives. The book also carries a powerful message of inclusivity, showing children that design is a universal tool - accessible to anyone, regardless of background. As VanDeman explains:

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“We created Design Your World to show children that they can learn and harness the power of design, no matter what they look like, where they’re from, or the language they speak,” said VanDeman. “Design is a tool for creativity, agency, community building, problem-solving, and shaping the world around us. This Spanish translation, Diseña Tu Mundo, embodies our vision and will continue to enable important groups of children to see a piece of themselves within the main character and designer, Serena.”
- Maria VanDeman

This launch marks a significant milestone as OFS takes another step toward making design accessible to all, empowering children to create spaces that reflect who they are. It also reinforces the company’s commitment to inclusivity and equity in the design community. As part of this effort, OFS District Sales Manager Barbie Thomas, along with a few others, contributed to the translation process. Thomas shared her experience working on adapting the content to ensure it resonated with a diverse audience.

“I was fortunate to be asked to review and assist with the book translation, as well as the accompanying print materials. Maria initially reached out to me, and together with Jonathan, we worked on reviewing all the content. It was a fascinating process because translating into Spanish isn’t always straightforward. Given the diversity of Spanish-speaking countries and regions, it was important to keep the language as neutral as possible so children from different backgrounds could enjoy the book and receive the same inspiring message.”
- Barbie Thomas

Thomas expressed her gratitude for the meaningful impact the project has had, especially in how it’s reaching and inspiring a wider audience. As a designer, she finds IIDA and OFS’s commitment to her profession and their focus on engaging the Spanish-speaking community truly inspiring.

Adding a personal touch to the project, the visuals for Design Your World were brought to life by Kenzie Leon Perry, a licensed interior designer and creative director of Ze Haus Design Studio. Perry explained to truly bring the characters to life, he drew inspiration from his family, friends, and individuals connected to the project.

“I’ve always had a strong skill set in hand-drawn renderings and illustrations for interior spaces, but this was my first time illustrating characters for a book. After meeting with the authors to understand their vision, I immersed myself in learning about character illustration as much as possible. However, to truly bring the characters to life, I had to make the process personal. I drew inspiration from family, friends, and individuals connected to the project, unknowingly aligning with the very people who had inspired the story itself.”
- Kenzie Leon Perry

Perry said beyond that, he simply stayed true to his artistic roots, creating the illustrations and color renderings by hand. Reflecting on his role in the creation of Design Your World, now in its second year, he expressed pride in the book's ongoing success and its expansion into multiple languages. He shared that he is both thrilled and deeply proud of the collective effort that has made the story accessible to such a diverse, global audience.

Perry’s reflections on the impact of Design Your World highlight the book’s mission to not only inspire but also to give back. With every book purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes toward supporting the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) Design Your World initiative. This program aims to create a more diverse and equitable design industry by introducing high school students to the wide-ranging opportunities a career in design can offer. 

Diseña Tu Mundo is now available for purchase on the OFS website. Plus, kids can get creative with a free printable activity sheet, Design Your Own Room, available for download in the pdf. below. Join Serena on her inspiring journey, and discover how you too can design your world.

ABOUT OFS

OFS is a family-owned contract furniture manufacturer dedicated to crafting experiences and products that contribute to places where people want to be. Founded in 1937, OFS provides furniture and logistics solutions for office, healthcare, education, lifestyle, hospitality, government, and home office markets worldwide, offering seating, tables, casegoods, and open plan products. The brands, Carolina and Bryan Ashley are OFS companies. OFS is based in Huntingburg, Indiana.

ABOUT IMAGINE A PLACE PRODUCTIONS

Imagine a Place Productions gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place Productions is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

Media Contact:

OFS Press Contact: Monica Watkins - mwatkins@ofs.com

Design Your World Printable