Abstract
The research discusses the role of design as a facilitator of knowledge co-creation between academia and society. Despite the development of engaged university models and Third Stream initiatives, Academia struggles to overcome its traditional detachment from communities and real-world issues (the “ivory tower”). University-society interactions are frequently limited to uneven initiatives that tend to benefit researchers more than the communities involved. Often, societal engagement is restricted to data collection or participatory actions, lacking collaborative processes that add meanings and value to the engagement. This missed opportunity is significant, as shared experiences of knowledge production, interpretation, dissemination are essential for supporting community autonomy and self-determination (Wenger, 2008). Within this context, design—particularly participatory and socially engaged design—shows notable potential due to its inherently collaborative nature (Manzini, 2015). Contemporary critiques, however, challenge the “saviour” narrative of design, emphasising the need for practitioners to engage with greater critical awareness of their societal role and impact (Taboada et al. 2024). Decolonial and queer studies, and Global South onto-epistemologies can support this reflexivity, and concepts such as pluriversality (Escobar, 2018), corazonar (Albarrán González, 2022), and situated knowledge (Haraway, 1988) can be critical tools to address hegemony, exclusion, and cultural extractivism in knowledge production (McGowan et al., 2020) and to underscore the political-ontological implications for design, advocating for increased reflexivity. To discuss these issues, the paper proposes a preliminary framework for reflective design practice that challenges technocratic and Eurocentric perspectives while advocating for an approach that empowers communities and fosters equitable knowledge co-creation and exchange (Fry, 2009).
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Knowledge Co-creation, Co-design, Social Impact, Third Stream, Decoloniality
