Abstract

Humanity faces a climate crisis that requires immediate and bold action. While designers can be considered to be well-equipped to address such a complex problem, it seems that they are not yet up to the challenge, at least not in terms of making the issue central to their work. This article suggests that this state may reflect an inadequate design knowledge framework that is ill-suited to address the contemporary context of climate change. Based on the latest literature on how to prevail over climate change, I offer a reformulation of the current design knowledge framework, with two organizing principles—urgency and the synthesis of radical thinking with practicality. After introducing the principles and the various elements they include, the article presents the findings of a study exploring whether design practitioners show interest in climate change, and if those who do so utilize the principles of the reformulated design knowledge framework. About 500 design-oriented stories published on design magazines and posts written by designers on a popular blogging platform in 2018–2019 were reviewed and assessed for material references to climate change and indications of the elements constructing the new design knowledge framework. The findings suggest that climate change is not high on the agenda of most design practitioners and that designers who show interest in this issue do not fully utilize the reformulated design knowledge.