Short-comings and vulner-abilities

Abstract

Trying to align our eating habits towards plant flourishing and withholding ‘lucky tiny urine samples’ from spilling into the sewer, made us aware how designers are vulnerable as socio-technological beings. Embracing our vulnerability — rather than eliminating it — is a potentially more integrative way of accessing change and unleashing human development that stems from within ourselves. Coming to grips with vulner-ability, designers needed to learn how to accept shortcomings as a mode of life-affirming agency. Research in social psychology demonstrate how first-hand experience of vulnerability is necessary for human flourishing. Co-designing for and through the fermenting, sprouting, living world has augmented that. In the least, finding mutual support and affirmation when being biosocially exposed may help us transcend the design–nature duality.