Designing Motherhood: Things that Make and Break Our Births will explore the arc of human reproduction through a design lens, inviting audiences to consider how designs developed over the last 150 years have shaped reproductive health. The exhibition broadly explores the intersections of design, access, and experiences of (in)fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood, and includes more than 250 manufactured products, speculative design projects, medical devices and tools, graphic materials, contemporary artworks, and video. Combining art, design, and activism, Designing Motherhood aims to deepen the cultural awareness and dialogue surrounding design for reproductive health and well-being.

This exhibition is part of the Designing Motherhood project, a first-of-its-kind consideration of the arc of human reproduction through the lens of design. Designing Motherhood is an award-winning book (MIT Press, 2021), touring exhibition, narrative portraiture initiative, open-source curriculum, public program series, and Instagram account. The project is collaboratively organized by Juliana Rowen Barton, PhD, Michelle Millar Fisher, PhD (co-founder), Zoë Greggs, Gabriella Nelson, and Amber Winick (co-founder). Over the years, the project has further been shaped by thought partners and supporters including Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the Graham Foundation, Maternity Care Coalition, and Neighborhood Birth Center, among many others.

At the Museum of Arts and Design, it was co-organized by Elizabeth Koehn and Alexandra Schwartz, PhD.