"I dream of a future where everyone has what they need and where design supports human and planetary flourishing. This vision fills me with hope while also making me acutely aware of the reality many designers face today. Our work is done within the dominant capitalist framework that prioritizes financial growth above all else, often at the expense of true flourishing."
"This reality creates a fundamental tension between "within" and "beyond" We recognize the need for radical systems change while needing to function in the current system in order to pay our bills. These tensions aren't just philosophical - they manifest in everyday decisions about which projects to take on, how to approach design challenges, whose voices to amplify, and what futures we choose to help create. It raises questions about complicity, compromise, and the real possibilities for change within and beyond the systems we inhabit."
Design operates within a capitalist framework that prioritizes financial growth, efficiency, and consumption over human and planetary flourishing. Designers face a tension between working within existing systems to earn a living and imagining radically different systems centered on dignity, social justice, and ecological health. Professional decisions frequently require balancing client expectations with personal ethics and amplifying particular voices. These tensions shape everyday project choices and raise questions about complicity, compromise, and the limits of incremental change. Strategies to shift within the system include harm reduction, movement-building, and centering rest as a form of resistance, enabling practical and transformative action.
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