Pom Smit

Within the design and design research community, the topic of sustainable design is increasingly exploring how we, as designers, can actively include the environment in the design process. Inspired by the practices and attitudes of more-than-human designers, this research seeks to uncover new ways to design for societal change while integrating the environment into multistakeholder decision-making processes. This research aimed to deepen the understanding of Socio-Ecological Innovation by connecting theoretical and practical worlds. This constructive research process was guided by the Design Philosophy Correspondence approach, where the theoretical frameworks of Complex Systems Thinking, Posthuman Theory, and Justice Theory were used as a generative lens for three design iterations. These designs were evaluated by three pragmatic domains: the business domain, the systemic domain, and the artistic domain, as well as three theoretical experts. Building on these evaluations, the Socio-Ecological Design Manifesto was created, and two design concepts were developed using this manifesto. These outcomes contribute through aiming to inspire the pursuit of more socio-ecologically inclusive and sustainable futures.