We are all journeys to change

The Design for Planet Festival is far from the only climate event around. From the UN’s Climate Change and Biodiversity Conferences, Climate Week in New York, and London’s Climate Action Week there’s plenty to choose from. But it is one of the few that focuses on the intersection of the climate emergency and the design sector.

Along with new events like Footprint+ and the London Design Festival’s growing programme of sustainable exhibitors, a conference is a good moment in the year to take action. But then the rest of the year rolls on and our momentum wanes. We have to take action all year long. Eating a more plant-based diet and reducing the number of flights we take are ways in which we might take action in our daily life but what does it mean as a designer? And what kind of change can we expect?

In a world where the dopamine hit of the next click, swipe and tap is instantaneous, something as systemic and complex as climate change won’t give us the same gratification.

So we have to pace ourselves, gather our tools, start to build something very slowly one step at a time. Maybe it’s a birdbox, but then it might lead to a shed and eventually a geodesic dome in the middle of parkland.

Listening is a good place to start. We published a 1podcast series with our 2021 Design for Planet Fellows and there’s also 2Climify and a series on the right to repair by The 3Restart Project

You might then follow up with in person or virtual conversations. This is a nice way to meet new people who are also ready to start talking, even if they might not be ready to act. In person or virtual community groups like 4Climate Designers, 5Climate Action Tech, or our 6London-based meetups are great informal spaces.

Once you start learning, you might figure out what you’d like to know more about. This is where more formal learning comes in. There are plenty of free or paid for courses out there, everything from bite-sized learning provided by 7 Terra.do to climate justice courses by 8Climate in Colour or the 9Open University class on climate change. If you work in digital design 10Product for Net Zero offers training and there are over 200 design methods collected by 11Climate Framework you can dive into once you feel more confident.

Once you start, it’s hard not to be that person who talks about the climate all the time but we know that with any big change, it starts with your friends and peers. Acting as an ambassador for the planet in your team or business might mean talking to your human resources department about getting everyone trained up with the Climate Literacy Project, getting a BCorp certification or signing up to Design Declares.

No matter where you are on the journey, take it one step at a time, and take some friends along with you.