🤝Collective intelligences

During this seminar, I transitioned from a mindset of trying to help communities or groups of people from my own resources, framework and skills towards a more collaborative and inclusive approach of being an aiding agent in the process of development.

This meant shifting from "I will be the one to help them", to "I will guide them so they can help themselves and teach me in the process". This change helped me see design as a relational process rather than a top-down intervention.

One key takeaway was that design is not just about creating objects but about shaping interactions and behaviors. The way we design influences how people relate to their environment and to each other. Everyone is a designer in some capacity, whether through the choices they make in their daily lives or the ways they navigate shared spaces. Embracing this plurality challenges traditional hierarchies, making the design process more inclusive and participatory. It also means questioning the standardized frameworks we often inherit and instead focusing on design that emerges from local knowledge and situated experiences.

Commoning! We... KNOW... everything

Another impactful concept was commoning—the idea that resources and knowledge are actively co-created through trust and reciprocity. Moving beyond the “tragedy of the commons” mindset, I now see design as a way to foster shared stewardship, where communities take an active role in shaping and sustaining their environments. This requires structures that support decentralized governance and adaptable systems, ensuring that resources remain accessible and beneficial for all. The act of commoning is not static but rather an ongoing practice of negotiation and care, reinforcing the importance of relationships in design.

By reframing design as a collective endeavor, I am beginning to understand its role not just in problem-solving but in world-building. This seminar has deepened my appreciation for the complexities of participatory design and the necessity of shifting power dynamics within creative processes. Moving forward, I want to continue exploring ways to integrate these ideas into my own practice, ensuring that design remains a tool for empowerment rather than imposition.