Design in transition /Designing transitions. Insights from conversations with design experts.

The most innovative cultures have marked periods of redefining and comprehending the challenging circumstances of their time (Koestler, 1975; Hall, 1998). Simultaneously our globalized world has been characterized by the idea that the future is unpredictable and unmanageable (Reith, 2004); counterintuitively, this uncertainty created the willingness for people to still engage with the future even though it is difficult, or even impossible, to anticipate (Reith, 2004). Because of its proactive nature, Design can act in the space of possibility shaped by dark times, as defined by Arendt. According to Cross (1982), design challenges are typically characterized as wicked due to their lack of clarity and organisation, which is common when it comes to societal challenges (Sedini, 2020). The commitment of designers is partially due to the recognition that Design has contributed to the creation of our contemporary unsustainable world (Monteiro, 2019; Papanek, 2022; Norman, 2023). This chapter will explore how Design, as a discipline, adapts to and drives systemic change in the face of unprecedented uncertainty. In order to answer the broad question How does Design deal with complexity?, this contribution synthesizes insights gathered from interviews with prominent Italian design experts.