Dr Katherine Ellsworth-Krebs

An international study exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday life practices among citizens across different countries of the world (UK, USA, China, Vietnam, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands). The study will help shed light on the impact of the pandemic on people’s everyday lives and domestic consumption as well as how governments can best respond in the post-COVID recovery.

Design and design research makes important contributions to climate change for 4 key reasons:

1. It’s a field with a long experience of defining human need [sufficiency, social justice];
2. Designers are inclusive in problem-solving, problems are pluralistic and typically inclusive, meaning one size fits all solutions are not assumed [de-colonising, co-designed solutions];
3. Design recognises that social-material configurations must be engaged, changed, and understood – wicked, complex problems and systems are default [critique techno-fix, challenge individualisation of responsibility];
4. Acting as a catalyst for change is at design’s core which has strengths in imagining, creativity and critical visions to inform options and pathways to go forward [activism, future-oriented]