In the second paper of the ECDF Working Paper Series "Changing the Nature of 'Things'", authors Tomas Diez and Stephanie Hankey argue for a complex reading of design in the context of digitization, given the urgency of climate and environmental challenges: "We need to understand design as a creative problem-solving process and as a catalyst for radically changing the nature of things. Integrating digital and hybrid solutions into design practice offers the opportunity to rethink design approaches that have the potential to drive the regeneration of our natural ecosystems, not just mitigate their destruction, by shifting from a human-centered to a life-centered design mode. 

This paper is the first in a series of transdisciplinary explorations. It brings together reflections from two design and technology practitioners and educators with nearly 20 years of experience in digital fabrication and the impact of technology on society within leading international nonprofit organizations (FabLab Network and Tactical Tech). The texts are a synthesis of a series of discussions built on a shared understanding of the role of design and technology and the current challenges we face as a society and as a planet." //Download

The paper is part of the research project Digitalization 4 Sustainability. 

About the ECDF Working Paper Series

Whether it is transforming the world of work, cryptocurrency, or electronic textiles, digitalization is affecting nearly every aspect of our society. The ECDF Working Paper Series aims to account for this diversity: interdisciplinary, scientific contributions on various aspects of digitization are published in the open publication series. All contributions undergo a peer-review process and are published Open Access under the CC BY 4.0 license. "The aim of the series is to identify interdisciplinary perspectives and solutions for cross-disciplinary research problems and to promote societal solution strategies. The series is therefore aimed not only at scientists but also at political decision-makers, companies, NGOs and the interested public," explains Tilman Santarius, ECDF Professor for Socio-Ecological Transformation and Sustainable Digitalization at TU Berlin and co-initiator of the Paper Series.

To the Paper Series //here.