Building our worlds: co-developing future scenarios as a methodology for fashion researchers and designer-innovators

Abstract

In the context of climate and social injustice at global and local scales; commitment to change is being translated into resource efficiency and problem-minimising activities. These actions are not enough to make a required radical shift from the current trajectory of fashion industry-related impacts. This paper presents interim insights from collaborative research, undertaken by academic researchers with designer-innovators, in designing context, over designing in the current context of fashion. Thus product, services and business models are part of transformation design that extends the value of fashion’s social, economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions. Designing is an iterative, dynamic process, responding and shaping context, based on key concerns and areas of interest and opportunity. The research describes a scaffolding of context through a scenarios methodology, in which participants are co-contributors, practicing in flux, designing products, services, systems, and contexts in which we might thrive together