# Design & Critical Thinking
> We aim to build shared understanding, collective knowledge & sensemaking at the intersection of design, innovation, change, systems practices, and more.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## Pages
- [About the Design & Critical Thinking community](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/about.md) - Design & Critical Thinking (D&CT) is an online, free and open community launched in August 2020 by Kevin Richard. We aim to build shared understanding, collective knowledge & sensemaking at the intersection of disciplines such as design, business, innovation, change, ethics, systems practices, comp…
- [Account](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/account.md)
- [Authors](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/authors.md)
- [The Explorer Framework](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/explorer-framework.md) - The explorer framework is a guide for shifting thoughts & perspectives on problem-solving and approaching design, innovation, and change through a complexity lens. Published by the Design & Critical Thinking community. Written and put together by Kevin Richard with the help of community members Mar…
- [Join the community, join our Slack server](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-slack.md)
- [Library](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/library.md)
- [Membership](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/membership.md)
- [Sign in](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/signin.md)
- [Sign up](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/signup.md)
- [Subscribe](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/subscribe.md)

## Posts
- [State of Design from the Future, by Daiana Zavate](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/state-of-design-from-the-future-by-daiana-zavate.md) - Speculations on a world where designers reconstruct fragmented pasts, wage ‘Design Wars,’ and navigate a hyper-politicized landscape, challenging us to embrace ‘multi-sight’ as the key to reimagining a fractured world through critical, speculative storytelling.
- [The Problem Space of Organizational Ideology, By Lee Stadler](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-problem-space-of-organizational-ideology-by-lee-stadler.md) - How our reliance on ideological shortcuts (crafted to ease the burden of existence) ultimately distorts memory and authenticity, leaving us trapped in a cycle of convenient illusions that mask the very dissonance they claim to resolve.
- [What if Ferro Fluid become norm for Brain Computer Interaction Interface to challenge invisible design, by Mehmet Eren](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/what-if-ferro-fluid-become-norm-for-brain-computer-interaction-interface-to-challenge-invisible-design-by-mehmet-eren.md) - In 2035, imagine a world where your brain's emotional states (Focus, Panic, Flow) visibly shape a ferrofluid interface, turning invisible design into a tangible, reactive dance between human and machine.
- [Designers hate design, by Remi Garcia](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/designers-hate-design-by-remi-garcia.md) - "The observation I put forward is internal and provocative: if design is in crisis, it is primarily because designers have ultimately come to hate design."
- [Design did not show up for work today, by Vinish Garg](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-did-not-show-up-for-work-today-by-vinish-garg.md) - “You designed an environment with twenty-seven nudges to prevent them from leaving, and then tell yourself they stayed by choice.”
- [Update: More Time to Shape the Conversation – New Dates for SoD26 & FoD26](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/update-more-time-to-shape-the-conversation-new-dates-for-sod26-fod26.md) - Since we launched the SoD26 and FoD26 calls for participation earlier this year, we’ve seen some great initial interest. However, to ensure this year’s conversation is as deep and diverse as it deserves to be, I’ve decided to push the timeline back by a few weeks. Why the change? Two main reasons:…
- [Call for Participation: The Future of Design 2026 // FoD26](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/call-for-participation-the-future-of-design-2026-fod26.md) - Track II: The Sail – Decrypting Signals from the Next Paradigm
- [Call for Participation: The State of Design 2026 // SoD26](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/call-for-participation-the-state-of-design-2026-sod26.md) - Track I: The Anchor – System Diagnostics for a Broken Industry
- [2025 Retrospective: Reclaiming Agency and Designing Beyond Enclosures](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/2025-retrospective-reclaiming-agency-and-designing-beyond-enclosures.md) - If 2024 was defined by the noise of AI, 2025 was the year we sought to reclaim our agency. In this retrospective, we look back at the key explorations that defined the Design & Critical Thinking community this year—from the "Trioptic" nature of design to the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze.
- [The Designer Without Organs: Monism and the End of Identity](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-designer-without-organs-monism-and-the-end-of-identity.md) - This essay explores Monism—specifically Gilles Deleuze’s "pluralist monism"—as a foundational worldview for design. It contrasts this with traditional dualistic approaches and integrates practical exercises and digital examples.
- [Design as Snowflakes and Shards of Truth](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-as-snowflakes-and-shards-of-truth.md) - An exploration of "manufactured truth" in design. Using the metaphor of snowflakes, this post argues that design objects are crystallized shards of social truth, now facing a "whiteout" from the hyper-production of Generative AI.
- [Designing with Desire](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/designing-with-desire.md)
- [Making Under Finitude: Designing Interactions That Resist Enclosure](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/making-under-finitude.md) - The future of design in a transitioning economy
- [Community update: New channel, exploring the trioptic design, and thoughts on the challenges of designing for AI](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/community-update-new-channel-exploring-the-trioptic-design-and-thoughts-on-the-challenges-of-designing-for-ai.md) - Design is social, political and aesthetics; New challenges are old challenges.
- [State of Design 2025 – All contributions](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/state-of-design-2025-all-contributions.md) - A collection of essays reflecting on the current landscape of design and of the role of the designer.
- [More Than Tools, More Than Humans: Rethinking How Design Actively Shapes the World, by Kevin Richard](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/more-than-tools-more-than-humans-rethinking-how-design-actively-shapes-the-world-by-kevin-richard.md) - 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.
- [From Ambiguity to Orchestration: Reimagining Service Design in the Enterprise, by Neha Mansinghka](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/from-ambiguity-to-orchestration-reimagining-service-design-in-the-enterprise-by-neha-mansinghka.md) - 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.
- [Users Deserve More than Simplicity: a Minifesto, by Austin Wiggins](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/users-deserve-more-than-simplicity-a-minifesto-by-austin-wiggins.md) - 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.
- [A necessary fire in the field of design, but there is still hope, by Pratik Joglekar](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-necessary-fire-in-the-field-of-design-but-there-is-still-hope-by-pratik-joglekar.md) - 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.
- [Norm-critical Participatory Design: Navigating the State of Design in 2025, by Sofia Lundmark](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/norm-critical-participatory-design-navigating-the-state-of-design-in-2025-by-sofia-lundmark.md) - 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?
- [Utility in Tomfoolery, by Ami Mehta](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/utility-in-tomfoolery-by-ami-mehta.md) - 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?
- [The Layers of Tomorrow, by Trisha Mehta](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-layers-of-tomorrow-by-trisha-mehta.md) - 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.
- [Adapt or Perish: Does Design Still Have a Future? by Rémi Garcia](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/adapt-or-perish-does-design-still-have-a-future-by-remi-garcia.md) - Design, trapped in efficiency and control, has lost its creative edge. But history shows it can evolve. Can we break free from optimization and reclaim its radical potential? The future isn’t fixed—what comes next?
- [State of design 2025 begins + Join us for a special event](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/state-of-design-2025-begins-join-us-for-a-special-event.md) - Hi everyone, Kevin here. We are finally at this much anticipated week of 2025, the State of Design (or SoD25 for short). This year's contributions are incredible in their richness, diversity and originality in approaching the themes and topics. As a reminder, here they are: 1. Topographical underst…
- [Call for participation: State of design 2025](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/call-for-participation-state-of-design-2025.md) - Participate in our second edition of the state of design, a collection of essays from the broader community
- [The Apex Predators of Design • State of Design 2025 • Next community event](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-apex-predators-of-design-state-of-design-2025-next-community-event.md) - Hi everyone, Kevin here. Here's a somewhat spicy update to the community. I assembled some thoughts and discussions happening in our space and other adjacent spaces. Hope you find this interesting! The Apex Predators of our Design Ecologies The end of the year always calls for generosity and sharin…
- [Misty Experiences + Designing for Hope](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/misty-experiences-a-secret-project-designing-for-hope.md) - Exploring the ever-evolving mist of the world is a creative endeavour; Facts need narratives and principles; the next community event; and some interesting links and food for thoughts.
- [Join community's August Virtual Chalet session](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-communitys-august-virtual-chalet-session.md) - Engage in Meaningful Conversations
- [Join community's July Virtual Chalet session](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-communitys-july-virtual-chalet-session.md) - Engage in Meaningful Conversations
- [Join community's June Virtual Chalet session](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/join-communitys-june-virtual-chalet-session.md) - Engage in Meaningful Conversations
- [The State of Design 2024 – All contributions](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-state-of-design-2024-all-contributions.md) - A collection of essays reflecting on the current landscape of design and of the role of the designer. Hi everyone, Kevin here. Readers and members of the Design & Critical Thinking community might already know, but some weeks ago we opened-up contributions to an ongoing discussion on the “state of…
- [Here Be Angels, by Julian Bleecker](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/here-be-angels-by-julian-bleecker.md) - 1. Sure. Design is in crisis. The current mood says as much. Even as it’s unsettling and anxiety-inducing, it’s not so surprising. 2. Not really. 3. I’m going to say some mean sounding things. They sound mean, but I don’t mean you ill. I’m not trying to shame anyone, even as I point out shame-worth…
- [De designer à ambassadeur de la culture design, quand le designer devient un catalyseur de transformations, par Fabrice Liut](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/de-designer-a-ambassadeur-de-la-culture-design-quand-le-designer-devient-un-catalyseur-de-transformations.md) - English version below Résumé Designer depuis 15 ans, Fabrice a évolué vers un rôle de "designer systémique & régénératif" intégrant diverses pratiques connexes telles que la bio-inspiration, la facilitation et l'anthropologie, affirmant que le designer est un caméléon capable de s'adapter à des uni…
- [A no-bullshit policy for Design, by Daiana Zavate](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-no-bullshit-policy-for-design-by-daiana-zavate.md) - Abstract Moving forward towards an intended future and not one plagued by complications and impractical means to increase the quality of life where it's most needed, Strategic Design needs to lead a way that emphasizes on practicality and clear communication. Putting the right conditions in place f…
- [Ask the Right Question, by Jennifer Fraser and Scott Plewes](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/ask-the-right-question-by-jennifer-fraser-and-scott-plewes.md) - Abstract What is the right way to evaluate the current “state” of UX? In a world where business stakeholders are focused on numbers and metrics to ascertain value, how does UX play a role in this STEM-obsessed world? We can start by asking the right questions and instead of looking within, look at…
- [The State of Design: An Unnecessary Topic to Write About, by Vinish Garg](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-state-of-design-an-unnecessary-topic-to-write-about-by-vinish-garg.md) - Abstract Design has been part of our systems since ages and across the generations—in manual tools for use by our hands, in the machines, in print and media, and now in technology. We had design engineers designing our cars one hundred years ago. We always had textile designers, and cutlery designe…
- [Web Designing, Architecting, AI-ing, by Matt Ji](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/web-designing-architecting-ai-ing-by-matt-ji.md) - Abstract Web can be viewed from many angles: Old and new, big and small, uniform and diverse. It's hard to pick along a continuum because the tribes like to territorialize. This poses a problem and an opportunity for planeswalkers to take advantage of three key evolving themes of the web: javascrip…
- [The Evolving Landscape of Design in 2024, by Linh Nguyen](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-evolving-landscape-of-design-in-2024-by-linh-nguyen.md) - Abstract In 2024, there will be both possibilities and difficulties in UX design. While affordable and flexible, online education programmes might not give us enough real-world experience. UX designers are in high demand in both the tech and non-tech sectors, but competition for jobs is fierce, par…
- [Of Permacrisis and Peak Design, by Marc Baumgartner](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/of-permacrisis-and-peak-design-by-marc-baumgartner.md) - Abstract Design seems to be in a neverending crisis, especially when it comes to proving its value. The challenges caused by the emergence of AI and the current economic downturn make the devaluation of design even more problematic. Have we hit “peak design”? If so, what that might mean for design…
- [The State of Design, join the discussion on 26 April](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-of-design-an-open-discussion.md) - Hi, Kevin here. As you may already know, we recently invited members of the community to collaborate on a piece about “the state of design” –the many whispers of doom and crisis– to open up the discussion to a diversity of voices and perspectives. The contributions are now being released at the rat…
- [Call for participation: State of Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/call-for-participation-state-of-design.md) - Hi everyone, dear community, I am starting to work on a piece about “the state of design” –the many whispers of doom and crisis– and thought the best way to discuss such a “polymorphic issue” is to open up the discussion to other voices and perspectives. 👉 We are looking for members to participate…
- [Multi-Ocean Strategy Framework: Designing impactful strategies – RSD12](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/multi-ocean-strategy-framework-designing-impactful-strategies-for-multi-actor-engagement-in-the-ecosystem-economy-2.md) - Hi everyone, Each year, the Systemic Design Association organises the Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD) Symposia. In 2023, Krasi Bozhinkova, Daiana Zavate and I had the opportunity to present a new framework to RSD12 Entangled in Emergence, after our paper titled “Multi-Ocean Strategy Fram…
- [[Replay] What can designers learn from Solarpunk?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/replay-what-can-designers-learn-from-solarpunk.md) - Hi everyone, Sorry for not publishing anything since the beginning of 2024, this has been a hectic few months and difficult to find time to focus and organise. Anyway, the end of last year was all about Solarpunk and I recently managed to (finally) publish the recording of our last 2023 session to…
- [A Solar(punk) End of Year](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-solar-punk-end-of-year.md) - Hi everyone, Kevin here. 2023 is coming to an end and that's a great opportunity to close it properly. As discussed during our last virtual chalet session, I didn't have the opportunity to present Solarpunk, the design principles and to open a space for a discussion. So here you are served with two…
- [Two opportunities to engage in conversations next week](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/two-opportunities-to-engage-in-conversations-virtual-chalet-and.md) - 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…
- [SolarPunk-inspired design principles – Part 4](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/solarpunk-inspired-design-principles.md) - Hi, Kevin here. In preamble, this article is supposed to conclude our exploration of SolarPunk, and this has been, on my side at least, a journey over several months. Honestly, I'm not sure the topic can be really closed, at least not for me, and I won't make that decision for you –but who am I to…
- [A topology of SolarPunk stories and resources – Part 3](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/topology-of-solarpunk-stories.md) - The landscape of SolarPunk narratives is interesting to observe. The categorisation that follows is my understanding through my own research and, as explained before, this landscape is an active process subjected to changes. In this series of articles, I explore what are Solarpunk narratives, a way…
- [Evolution of Punk Narratives: From Uchronia to SolarPunk – Part 2](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/evolution-of-punk-narratives-from-uchronia-to-solarpunk.md) - Hi, Kevin here. We continue our exploration of Solarpunk and its relevancy to design (and designers). In this series of articles, I explore what are Solarpunk narratives, a way to make sense of them, and how Solarpunk could be transferred to the design practice through design principles. Find all t…
- [Hybrid Worker – The turn of the tide with generative AI with the  Miro Community](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/hybrid-worker-the-turn-of-the-tide-with-generative-ai.md) - Together with Owtcome we ran a workshop using our Multi-Ocean Strategy Framework for the wonderful Miro community. Event description What comes to mind when you think of a strategy framework? A canvas, possibly, a huge whiteboard filled with sticky notes, where the most serious meeting of the year…
- [Exploring SolarPunk: Origins and Counter Narratives – Part 1](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/exploring-solarpunk-origins-and-counter-mainstream-narratives.md) - Hi, Kevin here. A few months ago, I started to dive into SolarPunk narratives by mere (happy) accident. SolarPunk as a genre is not really new, as it has existed for more than a decade, but, as the term "punk" suggests, it is a sub-culture and, to some extent, it offers counter-mainstream-narrative…
- [Community 3rd anniversary](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/community-3rd-anniversary.md) - The community was created in the midst of the pandemic with the idea that we needed a place to bring people from different horizons together to discuss design, innovation, systemic change, etc. with a diversity of perspectives, practices, and experiences. Back then, the realisation was staggering:…
- [[Replay] Strategic Design Framework to navigate complex ecosystems](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/strategic-design-framework-to-navigate-complex-ecosystems.md) - During this webinar, we presented and played out the beta version of a new framework to navigate complex environments. The framework uses metaphors which interconnect and help draw a map of realities & possibilities, and highlight relationships to foster new narratives. This is a tool to help organ…
- [Design Fiction on AI in everyday things, A Framework to Navigate Complexity](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-fiction-on-ai-in-everyday-things.md) - Making sense together, navigating uncertainty Here are two upcoming events for the community to collaborate on making sense of what's before us. Design Fictions: exploring possibilities and shared meaning of integrated AI Join us on Thursday, March 23 for a Design Fiction workshop to explore the po…
- [Turbulences and AI: clarifications and more principles](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/turbulences-and-ai-clarifications-and-more-principles.md) - Intelligence & expectations Please note that I will simplify some complex subjects here. What we call "Artificial Intelligence" should be called "algorithms" or "Large Language Models" (LLMs for short) because they have nothing close to "intelligent". They do what algorithms do, even though in a "s…
- [Turbulences and AI: from a third perspective to design principles](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/turbulences-and-ai-from-a-third-perspective-to-design-principles.md) - Hi everyone, Kevin again. I recently wrote about our loss of senses and disillusion in face of recent turbulences: the recent layoffs, the rise of AI, and the rapid commoditization of design all seem to indicate we are gently running along the edge of a precipice only covered by fog, waiting for us…
- [Turbulences, loss of senses and disillusion](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/turbulences-loss-of-senses-and-disillusion.md) - Hi, Kevin here. In my recent readings, I noticed an interesting theme in relation to the recent layoffs in Tech, the disillusion of some in the design communities, and the criticisms of our tools as instruments of “our own downfall”. The many deaths of UX designHow UX was proclaimed dead (again), w…
- [AI and meaning; Duality in context and the third perspective as a design tool](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/ai-and-meaning-duality-in-context-and-the-third-perspective-as-a-design-tool.md) - In this session, we discuss the relationship between AI, the potential for hyper-intelligence, and meaning through abstraction. We also discuss the notions of duality and how duality with context creates useful contrast that adds meaning and generates new perspectives, which can be used as a design…
- [Affordances in context drive experiences beyond intentionality](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/affordances-in-context-drive-experiences-beyond-intentionality.md)
- [On framing & exploring problems; using assemblage theory to understand & design for network effects](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/on-framing-exploring-problems-using-assemblage-theory-to-understand-design-for-network-effects.md) - During this community workshop session, we discuss how to frame problems to explore them and the critical need for diversity (of minds, perspectives, etc) in these early design activities. We discuss why we need to bring back imagination as many organizations (and practitioners) often jump from pro…
- [Betterment of today's education through dynamic financialization?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/betterment-of-todays-education-through-dynamic-financialization.md) - The "virtual chalet" is a recurring informal event (once every 2 weeks) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share ideas & experiences, find support, ask questions, etc. We discuss the issue of the current north American education system and its repercussions on the global financi…
- [Scaffolding for change](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/scaffolding-for-change.md)
- [🦊 Being foxes & tigers: a discussion about economics, politics, and design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/being-foxes-tigers-a-discussion-about-economics-politics-and-design.md) - During our last community event, we engaged in an unplanned and unmanaged informal discussion like we love to hold in the community. A discussion about foxes and tigers, about making sense of a complex world through metaphors, about philosophies of being and understanding their underlying systems.…
- [Politics is a design, which designs](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/politics-is-a-design-which-designs.md)
- [Workshop: Exploring the empathy gap](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/exploring-the-empathy-gap.md) - Join us for our next community workshop to bridge the empathy map. Community workshop: Exploring The Empathy Gap, Tue, Sep 27, 2022, 6:00 PM | MeetupHi, fellow Design & Critical Thinkers, This is our monthly community workshop where we build & discuss the future of the community, try out new ideas,…
- [Design & Philosophy: full series](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-philosophy-full-series.md)
- [A pragmatic design philosophy: exploring a useful tension between pragmatism and creativity](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-pragamtic-design-philosophy-exploring-a-useful-tension-between-pragmatism-and-creativity.md) - Hi everyone, Our series of discussions on the theme of marrying design and philosophy comes to an end with a third and final round on Tuesday 23 August at 6 PM CET. This time, we want to explore two aspects: * First, is the importance of coming to a form of pragmatism, which one might call “pragmat…
- [Week #33 – The forms of power & privileges, and practical design philosophy](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-forms-of-power-privileges-and-practical-design-philosophy.md) - Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well & safe! Here's what happened on the thirty-third week of 2022. 📆 On Tuesday 16 August, we discussed the different forms of power, how they influence decision-making, and how they relate (or not) to design. We discussed how power can be reciprocal, and why i…
- [Past recordings and Virtual Chalet session on August 16th](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-philosophy-recordings-and-august-16-virtual-chalet-session.md) - Hi everyone, hope you're doing all well & safe! Here is this week's quick update and upcoming session. Recordings: Marrying Design & Philosophy Find here parts #1 and #2 of a series of discussions on design and philosophy. Part 3 is soon to be announced, so stay tuned to our Meetup page! 😉 Part 1…
- [Design, people, and the social](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-people-and-the-social.md)
- [❤️ Design Loves Philosophy, Article Review, A Designer's Belief Of Value, And More...](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-loves-philosophy-article-review.md)
- [Mapping stories about "becoming designers"](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/mapping-stories-about-becoming-designers.md) - Take part in a micro-narratives research experiment Are you a novice in the field of design (UX or otherwise)? Are you an experienced designer? Or anything in between? How do you make sense of your experience of becoming a designer? Many enter the field of design because of various factors, for a c…
- [Week #25 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week-25-2022.md)
- [Systems Thinking, Assemblage, scenario planning, and Ecological Rationality](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/systems-thinking-assemblage-scenario-planning-and-ecological-rationality.md) - New additions to the community's library on 23rd June 2022.
- [Virtual chalet & curious exploration sessions, week 25 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/virtual-chalet-curious-exploration-sessions-week-23-of-2022.md) - Hi, fellow Design & Critical Thinkers, Here are the sessions available in English and French for the 25th week of 2022. 📆 June 21, 6 PM CET: Virtual chalet (English) Join us on our exploration journey of the theme “becoming better designers". Each session we pick a keyword following a letter in al…
- [Week #23 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week-23-2022.md) - The community update
- [Virtual chalet & curious exploration sessions, week 23 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/virtual-chalet-session-week-23-2022.md) - Hi, fellow Design & Critical Thinkers, Here are the sessions available in English and French for the 23rd week of 2022. June 7, 6 PM CET: Virtual chalet (English) Join us on our exploration journey of the theme “becoming better designers". Each session we pick a keyword following a letter in alphab…
- [The limits of our tools: Bounded applicability](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-limits-of-universality-bounded-applicability.md) - Following a recent discussion with Daiana Zavate on the ODD Owtcomes podcast about creating and perfecting our tools, and the publication of the book “The Discovery Discipline”, I wanted to share some thoughts on an issue we encounter frequently in the design, product, service, innovation (you name…
- [A new home for the community](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-new-home-for-the-community.md) - A new home, same location Hi everyone, Kevin here. Since the community launch back in August 2020, we have grown timidly our online presence. Our medium publication was the first touchpoint and means of communication with you, dear members, but also with a much broader audience of practitioners and…
- [Not confusing goals with intents](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/not-confusing-goals-with-intents.md)
- [Going beyond success & failure](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/going-beyond-success-and-failure.md) - Virtual Chalet, 26 April 2022 — “F” for “Failure” The “virtual chalet” is a recurring informal event (once every 2 weeks) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share ideas & experiences, find support, ask questions, etc. In this session, we continue our exploration of the theme of…
- [Being the expert that knows he doesn’t know](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/being-the-expert-that-knows-he-doesn-t-know.md) - Virtual Chalet, 12 April 2022 — “E” for “Expertise” The “virtual chalet” is a recurring informal event (once every 2 weeks) for the community to take the space & time to discuss, share ideas & experiences, find support, ask questions, etc. We continue our journey in exploring the theme of becoming…
- [Week #13 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week--13-of-2022.md) - The Design & Critical Thinking Community update Hi everyone, It’s been some time since the last update! Here’s what happened on the thirteenth week of 2022. On Tuesday 29 March, we continued our exploration of the theme “becoming better designers” through the keyword “data”, and what it means (or n…
- [Une critique du Design Systémique](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/une-critique-du-design-systemique.md) - Critique de l’évènement “Découvrez le Design systémique” du Laptop
- [Perfectionnisme, pensée systémique, et économie de la connaissance](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/perfectionnisme-pensee-systemique-et-economie-de-la-connaissance.md) - Chalet Virtuel du 31 Mars 2022 Ceci est la version francophone de nos sessions informel « Virtual Chalet ». Ces rencontres récurrentes (une fois toutes les 2 semaines) existent afin que la communauté Design & Critical Thinking (D&CT) prenne le temps et l’espace pour discuter, faire du sense, partag…
- [Using data to make decisions #becomingbetterdesigners](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/using-data-to-make-decisions--becomingbetterdesigners.md) - Virtual Chalet, 29 March 2022
- [Actionable, knowledge, emotions, affordance](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/actionable--knowledge--emotions--affordance.md) - On to becoming better designers
- [Legal design, blockchain, et gouvernance par le design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/legal-design--blockchain--et-gouvernance-par-le-design.md) - Chalet virtuel du 17 février 2022
- [Week #5 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week--5-of-2022.md) - The Design & Critical Thinking Community update
- [Design, narratives, capitalism & social contract, Squid Game as a catalyst](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design--narratives--capitalism---social-contract--squid-game-as-a-catalyst.md) - Virtual Chalet session, 1 February 2022
- [Week #3 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week--3-of-2022.md) - The Design & Critical Thinking Community update
- [Organisation-wide design as systems practice](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/organisation-wide-design-as-systems-practice.md) - Enterprise Design: building an ecosystem. A path towards a distributed and integrative design practice. This article proposes to approach Design in the face of organisational complexity (complex adaptive human systems) as a transdisciplinary integrative practice more than a narrow, domain or skill-…
- [Week #1 of 2022](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/week--1-of-2022.md) - The Design & Critical Thinking Community update
- [Design Systémique, Philosophies & Pratiques de Design & d’Innovation](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-syst-mique--philosophies---pratiques-de-design---d-innovation.md) - Chalet Virtuel (FR), 6 janvier 2022
- [Design Practice, Theory, and Methods | Systemic Design & Systems Thinking Trends](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-practice--theory--and-methods---systemic-design---systems-thinking-trends.md) - Virtual Chalet session, 4 January 2022
- [New Year, New Opportunities](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/new-year--new-opportunities.md) - Happy New Year Design & Critical Thinkers
- [Design & Critical Thinking’s Virtual End Of Year Party 🎉](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking-s-virtual-end-of-year-party---.md) - Join the community for an informal gathering to celebrate the end of 2021 and welcome 2022.
- [Experiences, Perception, Expectations, and Meaning.](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/experiences--perception--expectations--and-meaning-.md) - Looking at the interactions through the lens of the product tells a partial story. Same through the lens of 1 individual. Same through the…
- [Is ‘Innovation’ What We Think It Is?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/is--innovation--what-we-think-it-is-.md) - How our narrative around innovation echoes our perception of time and the way we act towards complex challenges
- [What Can Design Bring In Solving Complex Problems?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/what-can-design-bring-in-solving-complex-problems-.md) - What role for designers? Should we still call this design? Join us for an open discussion.
- [The Explorer Framework: From Problems To Ecosystems](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-framework--from-problems-to-ecosystems.md) - Tackling complex problems through design
- [Sensing The Present](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/sensing-the-present.md) - Reflecting on the past year and moving to the next one, one step after another
- [The Explorer’s Metaphor — Part 5](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-s-metaphor---part-5.md) - Navigating unknown seas and finding direction
- [Making sense together: trends & social media algorithm constraints](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/making-sense-together--trends---social-media-algorithm-constraints.md) - A discussion with Krasi Bozhinkova
- [Planet Centric & The Evolution Of Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/planet-centric---the-evolution-of-design.md) - A discussion with Samuel Huber.
- [Exploring The Topic Of “Insight”](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/exploring-the-topic-of--insight-.md) - A collaborative drawing session turned into a podcast This is a *collaborative drawing session* with the Design & Critical Thinking community turned into a podcast –drawing as a medium for exploration. In this session, we explored the concept of “Insight” and our relationship with it by visualizing…
- [Innovate By Making Sense Of Your Product Field](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/innovate-by-making-sense-of-your-product-field.md) - A sensemaking framework for product innovation
- [A Community Collaborative Drawing Session](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-community-collaborative-drawing-session.md) - Insights on deep collaboration about “Support” As part of the Design & Critical Thinking community, Krasi Bozhinkova and Daiana Zavate from Owtcome agency organised a deep collaboration workshop for the community to reflect on the concept of “Support”. Here are the insights gathered through the ses…
- [The Product Field: Sensemaking & The Shapes Of Innovation](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-product-field--sensemaking---the-shapes-of-innovation.md) - Product innovation is an essential part of most today’s business models. The pace of change led by the digital space makes it hard for teams to grasp and align all the different moving parts, both within and outside the organisation, required to improve or deliver a great product. Meet Klaus-Peter…
- [Curious Exploration Through Deep Collaboration](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/curious-exploration-through-deep-collaboration.md) - Dear readers and fellow Design & Critical thinkers,
- [The Explorer’s Metaphore — Part 4](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-s-metaphore---part-4.md) - Energy, Sensors, and Triangulation
- [The Explorer’s Metaphor — Part 3](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-s-metaphor---part-3.md) - Mapping islands: context topography
- [The Explorer’s Metaphor — Part 2](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-s-metaphor---part-2.md) - Discovering Islands
- [The Explorer’s Metaphor — Part 1](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-explorer-s-metaphor---part-1.md) - Sailing Complexity: introduction to sensemaking & complexity for designers, managers, and decision-makers.
- [‘The Design Sprint is a relevant research method’, really?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-the-design-sprint-is-a-relevant-research-method---really-.md) - Yet another lengthy reply to Design Sprint proponents’ claims
- [‘The design process is a lie’, really?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-the-design-process-is-a-lie---really-.md) - A reply to a Shopify UX Designer’s article.
- [The Innovation Washing Machine: Efficient But Deceptive](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-innovation-washing-machine--efficient-but-deceptive.md) - Cold washing; Mixed linen; Max spin; Start, repeat.
- [Startup UX Design, User Research, And Pragmatism](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/startup-ux-design--user-research--and-pragmatism.md) - A discussion with Pascal Briod from Monito.com
- [Why Ethics In Organisations Fail](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/why-ethics-in-organisations-fail.md) - And how designer & innovators could do it right
- [The ‘Space-for-action Barrier’ Trap And A Way To Move Forward](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the--space-for-action-barrier--trap-and-a-way-to-move-forward.md) - The thing that prevents you to do “what should be done”.
- [Shaping The Tools That Shape Us: Paradigms & Provocations](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/shaping-the-tools-that-shape-us--paradigms---provocations.md) - Join us for our first community event
- [The Dark Side Of a Galaxy Far Far Away](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-dark-side-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away.md) - Why Star Wars isn’t a desirable future
- [Publication update](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/publication-update.md) - Hi, Kevin here.
- [Innovation By Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/innovation-by-design.md) - A complexity-based understanding and provocation.
- [Design & Critical Thinking Community Update](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking-community-update.md) - We need your help to create and engage in discussions that have the potential to cross boundaries.
- [The value of UX: Appropriate Friction](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-value-of-ux--appropriate-friction.md) - Designing for meaningful human experiences, not vacuous simplicity.
- [How to understand & explain complex topics?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/how-to-understand---explain-complex-topics-.md) - A discussion with Massimo Curatella
- [Communication For Designers](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/communication-for-designers.md) - When communication is conflated with “sales pitch”, this is problematic.
- [Shaping The Right Product: Rethinking how we develop products](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/shaping-the-right-product--rethinking-how-we-develop-products.md) - A discussion about Basecamp’s new book
- [Building Up A Community To Create Collective Understanding](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/building-up-a-community-to-create-collective-understanding.md) - At the intersection of design, business, tech, innovation, ethics, and more…
- [Journey Maps vs Service Blueprints](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/journey-maps-vs-service-blueprints.md) - What’s the difference? — A practical understanding.
- [Designing In Startup, Corporate, and Agency Environment](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/designing-in-startup--corporate--and-agency-environment.md) - Same same but different — A conversation with Géraud De Laval.
- [In Search Of Delight Experience, Mental Models For Designers, and more…](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/in-search-of-delight-experience--mental-models-for-designers--and-more-.md) - Recently Published
- [Mental Models For Designers](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/mental-models-for-designers.md) - How to use them to better understand users' expectations.
- [A Conversation About Strategic Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-conversation-about-strategic-design.md) - What it is and how it looks like to practice it in an organization.
- [Tips For Remote Workshops](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/tips-for-remote-workshops.md) - Prepare, organize, motivates, and communicate better.
- [Complexity Dependent Decision Making](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/complexity-dependent-decision-making.md) - Thanks for this interesting piece Adrian H. Raudaschl 👏
- [The Ethics Of Design Sprint](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-ethics-of-design-sprint.md) - An endeavor you are passively subscribing to.
- [Design Differently Through The Negative](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-differently-through-the-negative.md) - Define boundaries, find opportunities, and build evaluative criteria.
- [Self-service & Shadow Work In Service Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/self-service---shadow-work-in-service-design.md) - What is it, how to use it, and how to mitigate some ethical issues.
- [The Multiples Design Thinking](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-multiples-design-thinking.md) - There is no such thing as one single true “design thinking”, and what complexity has to do with it.
- [Beyond Human Centered Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/beyond-human-centered-design.md) - Is Planet Centric Design The Next Thing?
- [[Brainshot] The Issue With Common Sense](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-brainshot--the-issue-with-common-sense.md) - And why it’s a bad tool in most contexts.
- [An Answer To Designers Moral Imperative To Focus On Known Knowns](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/an-answer-to-designers-moral-imperative-to-focus-on-known-knowns.md) - Hi Fabricio Teixeira, let me, for the sake of a (hopefully) interesting debate, kindly challenge your point of view.
- [Design & Critical Thinking 2020 — Issue #2](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking-2020---issue--2.md) - Hi everyone, Kevin here.
- [Design & Critical Thinking — Issue #2](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking---issue--2.md) - Uncertainty & changes are good opportunities for ethical thinking.
- [Design & Critical Thinking — Issue #1](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking---issue--1.md) - Building the foundations for a more ethics-literate design community.
- [Design & Critical Thinking 2020 — Issue #1](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design---critical-thinking-2020---issue--1.md) - Hi, Kevin here.
- [Ethics For Designers: Important Ethical & Moral Notions](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/ethics-for-designers--important-ethical---moral-notions.md) - Understanding the differences between metaethics, normative ethics, deontology, and consequentialism.
- [Ethics For Designers: What’s Cultural Relativism?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/ethics-for-designers--what-s-cultural-relativism-.md) - When your moral principles are what your society approves of.
- [Ethics Explained To Designers](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/ethics-explained-to-designers.md) - A series of articles about ethics and moral philosophy (for designers) that aim to go beyond dark patterns.
- [Design Sprint = Design Thinking, really?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/design-sprint---design-thinking--really-.md) - Hi Mauricio Wolff, thanks for your article.
- [Hey Designers, Trust Your Intuition?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/hey-designers--trust-your-intuition-.md) - Magical thinking and unicorns — the designers’ fairytales
- [[Brainshot] Is Design Sprint A Necessity?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-brainshot--is-design-sprint-a-necessity-.md) - Is one single tool more important than the goals it should help to achieve? Switching the center of discussion.
- [[Brainshot] Are You Stuck In The Innovation Paradox?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-brainshot--are-you-stuck-in-the-innovation-paradox-.md) - Aiming for the butterfly effect you can’t see coming.
- [[Brainshot] Design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Do we act accordingly?](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/-brainshot--design-doesn-t-happen-in-a-vacuum--do-we-act-accordingly-.md) - Business value, ethics, and designers’ responsibilities.
- [The 4 Pancakes Of Great Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/the-4-pancakes-of-great-design.md) - How to design in large and complex organizations.
- [Changing People’s Behavior: Awareness Alone Is Not Enough.](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/changing-people-s-behavior--awareness-alone-is-not-enough-.md) - Systemic Behavioral Design Is More Than Throwing Information And Counting On People’s Internal Factors.
- [Critical Thinking Applied To Design](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/critical-thinking-applied-to-design.md) - Aiming for a human-centered approach implies (sometimes) to think about what we do and how we do it.
- [A Critical Analysis Of The Design Sprint’s Argumentation](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/a-critical-analysis-of-the-design-sprint-s-argumentation.md) - Thinking critically about what we know helps shape and improve what we’re doing & how we’re doing it.
- [Publish Your Article With Human Centered Thinking](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/publish-your-article-with-human-centered-thinking.md) - Submit articles about design, business, innovation, and user-centered practices.
- [Moving Design Decisions From Ego-Centered to User-Centered.](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/moving-design-decisions-from-ego-centered-to-user-centered-.md) - How to use behavior design to drive change in your team and organization.
- [Everyone Is A Designer, You’re A Facilitator.](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/everyone-is-a-designer--you-re-a-facilitator-.md) - Great User Experience Happen When Design Is Shared Among The Entire Team.
- [Reconsidering The Effect Of Aesthetics On Usability](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/reconsidering-the-effect-of-aesthetics-on-usability.md) - Recent study shows no effect of aesthetics on usability, but instead highlights a significant effect of occasion and bias.
- [Uber vs Europe, Or The Good Against The Evil](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/uber-vs-europe--or-the-good-against-the-evil.md) - Manuel Woerner thanks for this article.

## Optional
- [RSS Feed](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/rss/)
- [Sitemap](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/sitemap.xml)
- [Full content of pages and posts](https://www.designcriticalthinking.com/llms-full.txt)