From Human-Centred Design to Life-Centred Design with Dr. Martin Tomitsch

Design Feeling

#021 - Too much human-centricity is killing the planet and we’re part of the problem. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Martin Tomitsch on life-centred design, a new way of building products and services that considers the needs of non-human stakeholders and the planet.

Martin is a Professor in Interaction Design at the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning. He teaches interface design, design thinking, creativity and innovation. He also is the lead author of “Design Think Make Break Repeat”, a handbook of design methods. In this episode, we shift the focus away from human-centred design and into life-centred design. Martin shares real life examples of how human-centricity is not always good for humans or for the planet and how designers can give start to make their work more life-centric. Martin will also be giving away 2 copies of his popular book “Design Think Make Break Repeat”.
In this episode:

• What is life-centred design and how it is different to human-centred design
• Negative impact of human-centred design
• Adding Responsibility to Desirability, Feasibility and Viability
• Creating non-human personas
• and much more!

Shownotes

Follow Martin on

Twitter

https://twitter.com/martintom

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/martintomitsch/

Instagram

https://instagram.com/martintomitsch

Linktree

https://linktr.ee/martintomitsch

“Design, Think, Make, Break, Repeat” Book

http://designthinkmakebreakrepeat.com/

Ripple Impact canvas

http://designthinkmakebreakrepeat.com/methods/impact-ripple-canvas/

Systems mapping

http://designthinkmakebreakrepeat.com/methods/systems-mapping/

Middle Out Design Framework

https://doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-050-006 (Free open access paper)

Template for non-human personas

http://designthinkmakebreakrepeat.com/methods/non-human-personas/

Life-centred design

https://sbi.sydney.edu.au/for-the-sake-of-the-planet-we-need-to-rethink-human-centred-design/

Center for Humane Technology

https://www.humanetech.com/

“Ruined By Design” book

https://www.ruinedby.design/

Cathedral thinking

https://cathedralthinking.com/

“The Good Ancestor” book by Roman Krznaric

https://www.romankrznaric.com/good-ancestor

The Design Squiggle

https://the

Follow Design Feeling on social!

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/designfeelingco

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/designfeelingco/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/designfeelingco

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@designfeelingco

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/designfeelingco

Kapitel

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Martin's favourite childhood moment (00:02:27)

3. How Martin got into design (00:04:57)

4. What is life-centred design and how it is different to human centred design (00:07:10)

5. Negative impact of human-centred design (00:09:10)

6. Where designer responsibility lies in the present moment (00:12:54)

7. Tools for mapping out the unintended consequences of your designs (00:14:39)

8. Adding Responsbility to Desirability, Feasibility and Viability (00:28:58)

9. Giving non-human stakeholders a voice in the design process (00:31:42)

10. What are non-human personas and how you create them (00:34:28)

11. How non-human personas help the business (00:37:50)

12. Risk of bias towards human needs (00:39:37)

13. Thinking of ourselves as being hired by future generations (00:43:28)

14. Managing the personal and organisational anxiety that comes uncertainty (00:50:17)

15. Using conversations as prototype (00:53:46)

16. Win a signed copy of Martin's book Design, Think, Make, Break, Repeat (00:58:10)

17. What Martin would tell his younger self as a designer (00:59:09)

18. What pisses off Martin (00:59:30)

19. Recap (01:01:36)