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