State of Design 2025 – All contributions
A collection of essays reflecting on the current landscape of design and of the role of the designer.
State of Design 2025 – All contributions
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Design & Critical Thinking
Featured Posts
More Than Tools, More Than Humans: Rethinking How Design Actively Shapes the World, by Kevin Richard
Design is not just a human act—it shapes and is shaped by materials, systems, and environments. This article explores how new materialism and sociology challenge traditional views, revealing how design actively transforms behaviours, power structures, and the world around us.
More Than Tools, More Than Humans: Rethinking How Design Actively Shapes the World, by Kevin Richard
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From Ambiguity to Orchestration: Reimagining Service Design in the Enterprise, by Neha Mansinghka
Service design in enterprises faces a challenge: ambiguity. To stay relevant, it must evolve beyond titles toward value-driven roles. By embracing "hidden designers" and focusing on strategic orchestration, service design can shape AI, sustainability, and DEI—while keeping its human-centered core.
From Ambiguity to Orchestration: Reimagining Service Design in the Enterprise, by Neha Mansinghka
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Users Deserve More than Simplicity: a Minifesto, by Austin Wiggins
Simplicity is often seen as the ultimate goal in design, but oversimplification can strip away depth and utility. Users don’t just need ease—they need tools that empower them. Good design balances clarity with capability, making experiences both accessible and meaningful.
Users Deserve More than Simplicity: a Minifesto, by Austin Wiggins
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A necessary fire in the field of design, but there is still hope, by Pratik Joglekar
Design thrives on transformation. To stay relevant, we must challenge traditional methods, embracing change and new technologies. This essay calls on designers to rekindle their creative spark, fostering innovation beyond conventional boundaries.
A necessary fire in the field of design, but there is still hope, by Pratik Joglekar
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Norm-critical Participatory Design: Navigating the State of Design in 2025, by Sofia Lundmark
Design isn’t neutral—it shapes who benefits and who is excluded. By challenging hidden biases and involving marginalized voices, norm-critical design builds a more just future. Who gets to design, and for whom?
Norm-critical Participatory Design: Navigating the State of Design in 2025, by Sofia Lundmark
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Utility in Tomfoolery, by Ami Mehta
What if design embraced humor? Comedy disrupts norms, sparks creativity, and welcomes the unexpected. From satire to absurdity, playful design invites fresh ideas. Could tomfoolery be a tool for innovation?
Utility in Tomfoolery, by Ami Mehta
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The Layers of Tomorrow, by Trisha Mehta
Climate crisis, inequality, and failing systems expose design’s limits. The future is unpredictable—can we map possibilities beyond human-centered thinking? This essay explores how to design for what’s possible, not just what’s known.
The Layers of Tomorrow, by Trisha Mehta
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![[Replay] Strategic Design Framework to navigate complex ecosystems](/content/images/size/w600/format/webp/2023/04/Carta_Marina_crop.jpeg)
State of Design
A collection of essays reflecting on the current landscape of design and of the role of the designer.
![[Replay] What can designers learn from Solarpunk?](/content/images/size/w600/format/webp/2024/03/green-landscape-with-a-tree-next-to-a-farm-house-and-futuristic-city-integrated-in-the-vegetation-in.jpeg)
Solarpunk
An exploration of the Solarpunk movement, how this can impact the way we do design, and what can designers learn from it.
Multi-Ocean Strategy Framework
Multi-Ocean Strategy Framework (MOSF) is a strategic design tool to map impact and value in complex ecosystems. This project is a collaboration between Kevin Richard from D&CT and Daiana Zavate and Krasi Bozhinkova from Owtcome.
