Hi everyone, Kevin here.

Next week we will have two events you can join to engage in conversations with me and the community.

Virtual Chalet Meetup, Tuesday 21 November

Our virtual chalet sessions are informal discussions which run once a month. Join the community on Tuesday 21 November at 6 PM CET 👇

Virtual Chalet Meetup, Tue, Nov 21, 2023, 6:00 PM | Meetup
Hi, fellow Design & Critical Thinkers, The “virtual chalet” is a recurring informal event (once every month) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share i
Meetup

What can designers learn from SolarPunk, Thursday 23 November

This event will be hosted in Lausanne. If you're close to Switzerland, join me, the IxDA and Design & Critical Thinking communities for an exploration of SolarPunk narratives and some principles to include in your practice.

What can designers learn from SolarPunk?, Thu, Nov 23, 2023, 6:30 PM | Meetup
**What can designers learn from SolarPunk?** Kevin Richard, Customer Experience Manager @Groupe Mutuel. **SolarPunk narratives, cultural weak signals, and the need for alt
Meetup

Recent posts

I consolidated the series of posts on Solarpunk into one article:

What can designers learn from SolarPunk?
SolarPunk is relevant to designers for its optimistic hybridisation and a sense of “finding back a form of purpose and meaning”. Let’s…
UX CollectiveKevin Richard

I've written a short critical response to a questionable (bad) promotion of Systems Thinking to designers:

Systems Thinking in design is (sometimes) Systems-washing
A short critical analysis of “What’s the Point of AI without Design and Systems Thinking? ”
MediumKevin Richard

Are designers a threatened species by climate change capitalism, who lost all agency in the face of its diversity collapse? I know this analogy sounds bad and that's why we need to take a critical look into it:

A critical look at “The vanishing designer”
The article says more about the state of the profession than it intended to do.
MediumKevin Richard

Interesting stuff

AI as a belief system

Ian Chipchase:

“[...] I’m not convinced that accuracy or “consistently telling the truth” matters for sustained mass-market adoption [...] humans are already adept at functioning with a baseline of inaccurate information because it is hardwired into how we remember, recollect and communicate [...] our current discomfort lies with the shift to AIs (and the people in organisations that develop them) becoming the primary source of that inaccuracy, instead of people or sources they have acclimatised to being the initiator. When enough people believe in an inaccurate version of events, for all intent it becomes the new reality.”
Considering AI as belief system
Considering AIs as a foundation for a belief system, akin to religious texts today.
Studio DJan Chipchase

Solarpunk rizhomatic network

Soft mobility enabled by Intermediate Vehicles is an interesting growing theme (at least in Europe) and a “low-tech” response to the all-mighty electric car. Today represented by strong communities of makers, some countries are subsidising development for larger audiences, for mixed contexts, in-between city and rural areas.

[Video in French that presents various Intermediate Vehicles] 👇

Corrolarry to this post: Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts. 👇

Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts
Electric cars are crucial, but not enough to solve climate change. We can’t let them crowd out car-free transit options.
VoxDavid Zipper

The ecology of tech innovation

Foxes of the Tech World: Adapting and Thriving in Specialized Environments
Foxes, of which many species have attuned to almost any ecosystem on the planet have varied reputations across cultures; in some, like Chinese and Japanese folklore, they are mystical and intelligent, while in European traditions, they are often associated with cunning and trickery. While they are d
Michaela Emch 🌱

Thanks for reading and looking forward to meeting you!

Kevin from Design & Critical Thinking