Designing as care

Abstract

Based on the ideal goal of sustainable development, this research explores how designers could overcome the negative effects of design activities on the environment by improving their care ability. There is a paradox in the design activity, 'creation and destruction'. Designers tend to believe that the ultimate goal of design is to meet users' requirements; however, it easily results in overlooking the design effects and brings unexpected and adverse impacts on the environment. In order to resolve the paradox and overcome the destruction of design, 'complete care' is proposed as a possible solution. The meaning of 'complete care' is 'a process of transformation' (Jiang et al, 2020). To care for the immediate environment, designers have to transform clients and things from care-receivers into care-givers, transferring 'care' from design activities to the external environment (Jiang et al., 2020). In the process of transformation, it is essential for designers and clients to improve their care-giving abilities cooperatively. To examine the hypothesis and identify solutions for designers and clients to improve their care ability collaboratively, three modes were identified: co-learning, mutual-learning and general-learning. (1) How to use care. Through interviewing 17 interior designers, three levels of achieving 'complete care' were identified: 'unknowing care - knowing care - doing care'. (2) How to learn care. Through designing the 'My Ideal Home' game and engaging students to play the game, a method of helping students 'becoming caring' is proposed (Jiang et al, 2020), with three steps: 'referencing care - knowing carelessness - knowing care'. (3) How to teach care. Through interviewing design education experts, a mindset of 'immersing care' is proposed: 'being self-centred - establishing relationship scenarios -expanding need orientation'. From the new perspective of 'care', this research provides insights into the root causes of unsustainability and proposes a practical solution to tackling unsustainable issues. Its significance is reflected in three aspects. (1) Educational aspect: expanding the system of design education from 'making products and planning services' to 'transforming people'. It emphasises that design education should provide full knowledge of how to care for a sustainable future. (2) Theoretical aspect: proposing a conceptual framework of the meaning of 'complete care'. It leads to an understanding of care in the design process. (3) Practical aspect: developing a set of practical tools to improve designers' care ability, including: a framework to understand care, methods to transfer care, a game to learn care, and the design thinking model for care design education. It has pointed out a potential direction for a more sustainable 'designed world'. The research has focused on interior designers in China, with little discussion on other factors (e.g., broader economic models, different cultures)' potential influence on sustainability, which is a limitation.