Design has shaped the systems around us — and the injustices we inherit. What would it take to design presents and futures where all of us can thrive?
The Design Changemaking Portal is a visual journey through the foundations of design changemaking, a methodology derived from ancestral and community wisdom and that upholds collective liberation.
Our systems urgently need dismantling and reimagining. This portal offers a glimpse at one of many pathways of change toward care, justice, and joy.
Happy exploring!
It's not a coincidence that marginalized groups repeatedly experience unequal outcomes and disproportionate harms in life, work, and society.
When you start to wake up to the oppressive realities of our world, things can feel impossible to change. But we are not powerless.
Our power comes from harnessing our values, talents, and creativity to design alternatives that liberate us from oppressive defaults. Not just in our futures, but in our presents.
That's where design changemaking comes in.
Design changemaking is an ethos, practice, and movement that roots us in shared values of collective liberation.
It helps us resist power, strategically navigate oppressive systems, and design more liberatory ways of living, working, and relating to each other.
An ethos
A practice
A movement
Design changemaking is built on three foundational frameworks that guide you in embedding liberatory and anti-oppressive practice in work and life.
Think of these foundations as interwoven pieces of collective wisdom and inspiration that you can carry in a pack and utilize anywhere, anytime.
Explore these in depth in the The Grove.
Design Changemaking Principles invite you to let go of oppressive defaults and design in alignment with liberation, justice, and expansive ways of knowing and creating.
Etched into time like hieroglyphs, these principles carry generations of human and non-human wisdom, resistance, and imagination.
By embracing these principles, you can...
"To transform design, we must embody liberation —and let it steer our choices."
The Design Changemaking Ecosystem weaves together seemingly disparate design practices connected to social and environmental change, amplifying their impact by rooting them in liberation and justice.
Like a living field of wildflowers, design approaches find balance here. Those in service of liberation—whether deeply rooted or newly sprouting—intertwine and evolve, while others naturally fade.
With an ecosystem approach, you can...
"Design should always be in service of collective liberation — no matter the pathways you choose for change."
The Reflexive Compass helps you navigate the complexities of systemic change, guiding you to disrupt oppressive patterns and design conditions for liberation.
Like a compass attuned to your values and shared vision, the Reflexive Compass invites you to make changeslowly and astutely with others.
With introspection and shared responsibility, you can...
"Even small shifts can have cascading effects when you act at key leverage points."
Experience design changemaking in a visually rich booklet. It includes expanded insights and resources that you won't find in the web portal!
Upon signing up, you'll receive insights and news from us.
Get the guidance, tools, and peer support to navigate and survive extractive systems and build anti-oppressive ways of working and living.
The Grove is our virtual program for liberatory and anti-oppressive practice. Imagine it as a quiet tree-lined place for solace, reflection, and experimentation that you can enter on your own or with a trust group of peers.
