Decentering Design - Practice in a More-than-human World

The Decentering Design project started with the question: how can designers and artists contribute to a world in which not humans, but the more-than-human community is at the centre? In doing so, they aim for a shift in design thinking and practice: from anthropocentric to relational, ecological and multi-species-oriented design. Experiments led to a ‘landscape of exercises’ - small, non-linear forms of work that invite designers and artists to open their process to other forms of presence, knowledge and agency. These exercises simultaneously serve as the method and outcome, and are intended as tools for reflection as well as action. The set of perspectives, insights, and methods was bundled in the publication Decentering Design: Practice in a More-than-human World.

The jury on Decentering Design:

Decentering Design is an inspiring quest for a design culture in which humans are no longer the only benchmark. A rich, multi-layered story unfolds in text and images, inviting reflection as well as action. The publication is not only convincing in terms of content, but also graphically: carefully crafted with imagery and different types of paper that make the polyphony of the research tangible. It is a contemporary and relevant project that fundamentally expands the discourse about design.

What does this award mean to you?

This award is important because it demonstrates how designers dare to critically question our own practice. Innovative and, in some cases, idiosyncratic research allows us to ask fundamental questions about the processes we run through and the results we achieve. It shows that this need not be a purely theoretical discourse, but is supported by a broad community of voices: from design studios to policymakers.

The recognition is also an affirmation for all those working on the issue, and highlights its urgency. We hope this appreciation inspires others to engage with their own practice: to ask new questions, and perhaps even rethink their design process altogether.

How did the idea for this project come about?

The idea arose from the observation that our environment is jointly shaped by actors other than humans - other living beings, ecological systems and technological networks. Yet we often approach this intrinsic connectedness from a purely functional perspective, even within the sustainability discourse. This means it is less about these different entities’ own value and capacity to act.

We wanted to decentralise that perspective: what happens when more-than-human actors become fully fledged partners in the design process? Decentering Design grew out of that question, as a way of exploring how designers can develop methods that take into account our connectedness to all other life, organisms and technologies through research, education and practice.

What makes your project so special?

We deploy design research as a bridge between academic thinking and practice. More-than-human discourse is often highly theoretical; with Decentering Design, we wanted to bring it closer to the sector and make it tangible in an inspiring way. We bring together academic insights, artistic imagination and design research, connecting the perspectives of researchers, artists, designers and policymakers.

Moreover, we wanted to make these perspectives and sensitivities palpable in the publication itself. Together with APE, the book was afforded a layered design in which transparent pages and cross-referenced highlights reveal the diversity of approaches. Thus, the publication becomes an invitation to engage in dialogue, reflect and adopt one’s own position.

How does it contribute to a better world?

Decentering Design aims for a more equal world by making space in design and artistic processes for the other living beings and organisms with which we form and share our environment. Not as resources that we sustainably manage, but as individual actors with their own self-worth and capacity to act.

We want to inspire designers to ask new questions and adopt a different mindset when launching and implementing projects. By critically questioning our human-centric worldview, and recognising its ethical implications, we create space for more caring forms of how we live with others. Sometimes the most radical act is not to design, but to listen attentively, observe and learn from what already exists.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

This design-research project was an open and exploratory process. The resulting publication allowed us to develop a clear and unique stance on more-than-human discourse and now provides a solid foundation for further exploration. 

It forms a basis for us to actively collaborate with designers, spatial professionals and artists today, through lectures, workshops and mentoring programmes. In doing so, we are gradually developing practical tools and debating instruments related to the topic. As a result, we translate the ethical and practical questions introduced by more-than-human thinking into opportunities, and increasingly deploy this perspective as a creative driver of any design, spatial or artistic process.