Design for Social Transformation
The concept of design is expanding beyond materialization and the expression of ideas. Increasingly design is understood as a social, cultural practice. Human beings are ‘design-beings’.
Design for social transformation starts from a proactive approach by identifying human need and then creating solutions to answer. Through the application of myriad designerly techniques this design practice develops experiences from an explicit human perspective. Transformation design can be understood as a ‘complex problem-solving space’.
Some main characteristics are: defining and redefining design briefs; build in collaborations between disciplines; employing participatory design techniques; building capacity, not dependency; designing beyond traditional solutions; and creating possibilities that contribute to fundamental change.
Keywords: Participatory design, co-creation, skills, transdisciplinary design, social change, social innovation, sustaining design, transformation, ethics, design complexity, design attitude, …
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