This is my manifesto. Both in terms of the way I live, as well as the way I work. It's a living document and it stands for my personal principles and goals to follow, in no specific order.
BEGIN BY LISTENING
Always begin by listening. Listen to experiences and stories. Both human and nonhuman ones. Listen to the stories that are hidden within.
LIVE SUSTAINABLY
Aim to live sustainably by recycling and reusing, cooking with leftovers and eating vegetarian, travel with public transport, turning off unnecessary lights and unplugging devices, shop sustainably, and always staying as informed as possible.
STAND UP FOR EQUALITY
Take a stand for equality and inclusivity, and take part in conversations for human rights. Use design to sustain, heal, and empower communities, as well as to seek liberation from exploitative and oppressive systems. Design for equal opportunities, respect and to tear down filter-bubbles.
ENGAGE, DISCUSS AND QUESTION
Engage with the present social, cultural and political condition, and from that aim towards designing for better lives. Speak up against injustices and inequalities by questioning the given as given and challenge patriarchy and capitalism. Rethink binaries and hierarchies and question norms.
VALUE KNOWLEDGE
Be humble, and be a facilitator rather than an expert. Acknowledge that everyone is an expert based on their own lived experience, and we all have unique and brilliant contributions to make. Value multiple forms of knowledge, including the knowledge that comes from people as living, feeling bodies in the world.
WORK TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Find impactful work and aim to take on work that is meaningful. Engage in work that makes the world better. Advocate for better.
CARE FOR OTHERS
Always be respectful of others, and treat others as you would like to be treated. Care for those who need it, and give space to those need that. Don’t let other suffer, and aim to include everyone on fair terms.
THINK HOLISTICALLY
Think holistically and consider the larger impacts of decisions and actions. Work towards non-exploitative solutions that reconnect us to the earth and to each other. Always consider the circular perspective and aim to create, add and bolster circularity.
VIEW CHANGE AS A PROCESS
View change as emergent from an accountable, accessible, and collaborative process, rather than as a point at the end of a process.
PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY
Center the voices of those who are directly impacted by the outcomes of design and prioritize impact on the community over individual intentions. Seek to give a voice to those who may not have one.
DESIGN FOR PASSION
Design to move the passions in others and ourselves, to create feelings and communicate, to express yourself and to help others express themselves. Create with a purpose and for a purpose. Create beautiful things, both aesthetically beautiful and meaningfully beautiful.
ENGAGE AND SHARE
Share knowledge and tools across topics and areas, and engage with others to learn and take inspiration. Start conversations. Seek out to gain new knowledge from diverse sources.
DESIGN TO NOT DESIGN
Before seeking new design solutions, look for what is already working – honor and uplift traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge and practices. Be willing to make trouble when necessary in order to understand complexity. Design only when the design is necessary over other solutions and create less trouble than what it addresses.
SEEK NEW VIEWPOINTS
Acknowledge and understand how own biases and privileges influence ways of seeing, being and designing. Shift focus and viewpoints and seek to understand other viewpoints. Aim to enhance other and multiple viewpoints. Don’t become stagnant, move positions and alter the standpoint to gain a broader view.
STAY WITH THE TROUBLE
Be inclusive and considerate of all by taking three steps back. Consider the context and take responsibility for ethical questions when designing. Always maintain a critical eye and stay with the trouble.
CHANGE YOUR MIND
Stand up for yourself and your beliefs, feelings, ideas and opinions, but be prepared to change your mind.
NEVER STOP LEARNING
Never. Stop. Learning.