Metadesign Tools
M21 Research Group presents a 2-day workshop
Friday 29th February and Saturday 1st March 2008
venue is a carbon-negative building
this research event was at the Pines Calyx venue
16 experts tested some of our Metadesign Tools
during a complex programme of filmed workshops
(How) Can Designers save the Planet?
- If society wants to reduce its ecological footprint - who could contribute more than designers?
- Unfortunately, most designers find themselves at the front line of a relentless quest for economic growth.
- Indeed, economic forces are so powerful that well-intentioned designers can even do more harm than good.
- For example, designing a 'greener' car could increase car sales, leading to greater (net ) energy consumption.
- Effective change therefore needs to occur in many ways that are top-down, bottom-up, holistic, imaginative, and systemic.
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Why do we need to re-design design?
- Most designers are trained as specialist 'mercenaries', rather than entrepreneurs who expect to inspire high-level change.
- But what would happen if we could bring them together in a wiser, cross-disciplinary metadesign profession?
- Our m21 project has been exploring ways to bring about what Buckminster Fuller called a synergy-of-synergies.
- This would not only entail working across the known disciplines of design, but also thinking about 'governance-by-design'.
- This is highly ambitious. It raises many questions on many levels. Designers first need to imagine what it might mean.
What did designers and architects do in this workshop?
- Working collaboratively, selected experts were invited to test-run some of our metadesign tools and methodologies.
- Some of these tools are designed to help the integration of different specialists within working teams.
- We asked them to participate constructively and creatively, moving beyond the evaluation process to develop the tools.
Who attended the workshop?
- The event brought together 10 designers from 5 different design specialism, working in 2 metadesign teams.
- We are delighted with the response we have had from distinguished practitioners (See the full list of names).
- The workshops will be monitored by 6 distinguished consultants, including 2 experts with knowledge of economics / currencies.
- 9 of our research team will facilitate this 2-day workshop, hosted by Jae Mather (one of the Pines Calyx Team)
Template of letter to Pines Calyx guests
Find out how to get there