Staging systems to feel round the corners of transition design

The challenges our societies face, such as climate change, require radical innovation (Proactionary Principle [Fuller]). But the complexity of our societies also demand that we be more attentive to the consequences of those innovations (Precautionary Principle). The challenges we face are, after all, the result of previously unanticipated consequences. It is by definition not possible to anticipate ‘black swans,’ but we should perhaps expect more than to cultivate an anti-fragility that merely awaits shocks [Talib]. How then to develop rich senses of the consequences of innovations designed to respond to phenomena like climate change? We call this capacity ‘seeing around corners,’ since the aim is not merely to build a system model that can predict an end state, but instead to sense what is possible and likely once at the position of that end-state. An analogy would be the ability to forsee texting-while-driving whilst designing the user experience of a cell phone. Theoretically, the point would be that As an aside, we are interested in ‘seeing around corners’ in reaction to an increasing tendency in commercial systems design to give up on larger-scale forethought and instead trust in Lean Emergence. We wish to preserve the Situatedness that comes from these ways of working (that is a corrective to temptations to ‘See like a State’ Planning), but nevertheless see the need for more forceful directedness, especially when negotiating societal challenges requiring strong, voluntary actions

Transition Design: An Educational Framework for Advancing the Study and Design of Sustainable Transitions

El siguiente documento tiene como objetivo proporcionar algo de la historia y la teoría del diseño que se está utilizando en la Escuela de Diseño de la Universidad Carnegie Mellon en su esfuerzo por constituir la práctica del Diseño para la Transición. Explica cómo la profesión y la disciplina del diseño están experimentando una rápida expansión y transformación que permiten un rico conjunto de marcos para el Diseño para la Transición. Este artículo argumenta que los diseñadores no solo pueden y deben aprender de los estudios para la transición, sino que el diseño puede contribuir recíprocamente a través de nuevos enfoques para enmarcar problemas relacionados con el cambio sociotécnico dentro del contexto de ecosistemas complejos.The following paper aims to purvey some of the design history and theory that is being used by the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University in its effort to constitute the practice of Transition Design. It will explain how the profession and discipline of design is currently undergoing rapid expansion and transformation that afford a rich set of frameworks for transition design. This paper argues that not only can and should designers learn from transition studies, but that design can contribute reciprocally through new approaches to framing problems related to sociomaterial change within the context of complex ecosystems.O documento a seguir tem como objetivo fornecer um pouco da história e da teoria do design que está sendo usada na Escola de Design da Universidade Carnegie Mellon em seu esforço para constituir a prática do Design for Transition. Explique como a profissão e a disciplina de design estão passando por uma rápida expansão e transformação que permite um rico conjunto de estruturas para o Design for Transition. Este artigo argumenta que os designers não apenas podem e devem aprender com os estudos de transição, mas que o design pode contribuir reciprocamente por meio de novas abordagens para enquadrar problemas relacionados à mudança sociotécnica no contexto de ecossistemas complexos

Transition Design: The Importance of Everyday Life and Lifestyles as a Leverage Point for Sustainability Transitions

El desafío central de la era actual es la transición hacia la sostenibilidad. Esta transición debe definirse en los términos más amplios posibles. Es un proyecto que es a la vez político, social, económico, cultural, científico y tecnológico: cada dimensión de los asuntos humanos se ve desafiada por la necesidad de transición y, a medida que varios temas alcanzan puntos críticos (cambio climático, inequidad, agotamiento de recursos, pérdida de biodiversidad, etc.) aumenta la urgencia con la que esto debe suceder. La Escuela de Diseño de la Universidad Carnegie Mellon ha respondido a este desafío mediante la introducción de lo que ha llamado “Diseño para la Transición” en los planes de estudio en los niveles de pregrado, posgrado y doctorado (Irwin 2015) y que “toma como premisa central la necesidad de transiciones sociales hacia futuros más sostenibles y argumenta que el diseño tiene un papel clave que desempeñar en estas transiciones” (Irwin et al. 2015b: 1).The core challenge of the current era is the transition towards sustainability. This transition needs to be defined in the broadest terms possible. It is a project that is at once political, social, economic, cultural, scientific and technological: every dimension of human affairs is challenged by the need for transition, and, as various issues reach critical points (climate change, inequity, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, etc) the urgency with which this needs to happen increases. The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University have responded to this challenge by introducing what they have called ‘transition design’ into the curricula at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels (Irwin 2015) which “takes as its central premise the need for societal transitions to more sustainable futures and argues that design has a key role to play in these transitions” (Irwin et al. 2015b: 1).O desafio central da era atual é a transição para a sustentabilidade. Essa transição deve ser definida nos termos mais amplos possíveis. É um projeto político, social, econômico, cultural, científico e tecnológico: todas as dimensões dos assuntos humanos são desafiadas pela necessidade de transição e, como várias questões atingem pontos críticos (mudança climática, desigualdade, esgotamento de recursos, perda de biodiversidade, etc.) aumenta a urgência com que isso deve acontecer. A Escola de Design da Universidade Carnegie Mellon respondeu a esse desafio introduzindo o que chamou de “Design para Transição” nos currículos dos níveis de graduação, pós-graduação e doutorado (Irwin 2015) e que “leva como premissa central a necessidade de transições sociais em direção a futuros mais sustentáveis e argumenta que o design tem um papel fundamental a desempenhar nessas transições ”(Irwin et al. 2015b: 1)

Critical Design and Critical Futures

How are contemporary designers and design theorists envisaging modes of design that are critical, future directed and challenge the status quo? In this round table panel, we explore and discuss the different ways in which forms of critical design are now being conceptualized and enacted from speculative design and transitional design to discursive design and beyond. Does the turn to critical design constitute a new kind of political and social engagement? Does it imply the need for new modes of critical design thinking beyond design thinking? Does it imply new modes of design pedagogy

Un/Making in the Aftermath of Design

This paper takes as its starting point the fact that we live in the aftermath of previous making and design. For participatory design to adequately answer to this aftermath, we suggest building on a combination of participatory and speculative design approaches in everyday life settings and exploring the practice of un/making matters. The paper draws on two cases where participants have been invited to engage with recent scientific findings and practices - one where they explore the practice of un/making plastic waste through composting, and one on un/making polluted soil through plants that can accumulate metals. By not primarily aiming at feeding into new iterations of a design process, there is an openness for speculating beyond the given systems, and to bring into question imaginaries of constant progress, which have been part of generating these lingering matters.Un/Making Matter

Cooling Common Spaces in Densifying Urban Environments: A Review of Best Practice and Guide for Western Sydney Renewal

In Australia, we are looking toward 50 degree summer days in our capital cities by mid-century (Lewis et al., 2017; IPCC, 2018). Increasing urban heat is a particular concern for Western Sydney, as the locus of population growth and economic activity moves west, creating a demand for new housing, infrastructure and services. This situation requires an intergenerational mindset and new tools and resources for thinking through the compounding social and environmental implications of increasing heat, population and building density in Australia’s third largest economy. Landcom is engaged in developing neighbourhood precincts in Sydney that create more affordable and sustainable communities, including in Western Sydney, where the urban heat island effect is adversely affecting liveability, and where the influence of the built environment on community health and well-being is particularly magnified. Funded by the Landcom Roundtable and aligned with Landcom’s Sustainable Places Strategy, this research aims to support Landcom and its stakeholders in making planning and design decisions that recognise this influence

Multiplier and Transfer Effects of Car Sharing in Australia

It is often assumed that members of car sharing organizations (CSOs) observe voluntary simplicity as a way of life, and that their philosophical and moralistic values revolve around avoiding unnecessary consumption. This paper presents some evidence showing that this conjecture is plausible. Almost 300 members of GoGet, Australia’s first and largest CSO, participated in an online survey that showed, among others, that 18% gave up their only car before joining and 74% of them do not consider to buy a car after joining. Sign-up data from the over 700 members also show that they have a significantly lower annual VKT (vehicle kilometers travelled) compared to the average Australian, and that their car travels have reduced since becoming a car-sharer. Email interviews further indicate the presenceof two phenomena resulting from their car sharing experiences, which we refer to as “multiplier effects” and “transfer effects”. We found that indirect sustainability gains flow from using car sharing that are beyond the sustainability of the specific domain the PSS was designed to make more sustainable; for instance, car-sharers tend to walk more and local shops benefit from car-sharing because people drive less. Moreover, there are signs that the skill and attitude changes learnt from the use of car sharing are somehow exported to other aspects of everyday life; thus, those who sign up for car sharing because of lack of capital or parking facilities find themselves more agreeable to sharing products in other aspects of their life, such as sharing toys and tools in special “libraries”