MANIFESTO

Who Are We?

Design Intelligences is a collective of humans and nonhumans, bringing together diverse forms of life and intelligence to address the complex environmental and societal challenges our planet faces.

Our mission is to engage in more-than-human design research and practices that integrate human, natural, and artificial ways of knowing and world making. We refer to this synergistic integration with the notion of “design intelligences”.

What do we aim for?

By fostering a more plural understanding of intelligence, we aim to explore the unique sensibilities, capabilities, spatialities, and temporalities of diverse humans and nonhumans—from microbes to artificial intelligence.

We seek to uncover and activate relationships between these varied intelligences to shape future design practices, ranging from understanding material substrates to shaping interactions, co-creating value, and innovating governance structures.

How do we do it?

By means of a ‘research-through-design’ approach, we advocate for ways of knowing and doing that are situated, pluriversal, and regenerative.

Our mission involves addressing the fundamental needs of all terrestrials while considering their radical interdependencies within technologically mediated worlds. This interdependence between humans and nonhumans, from living organisms to machines, is not new in fields such as the humanities or biology—but it is new to design.

Whom Do We Design For (And With)

At Design Intelligences, we believe that multispecies and multidisciplinary perspectives are essential. We promote dialogue among multiple species and diverse academic disciplines, each offering a unique lens through which to explore the complexities of life in the present condition.

By integrating insights from different agents, species, and fields - from ecology to anthropology, from computer science to philosophy - we enrich our planetary intelligence and enhance our ability to tackle these complex challenges, fostering design practices that nurture life rather than erasing it.

We also aim to cultivate a new breed of designers through education. These future designers must be capable of forging collaborations between humans and nonhumans and open pathways to harness design intelligences as key to our collective survival.