The Material and Immaterial in Design: A Review of Six Years of Transdisciplinary Collaborations

The distinction between the material and immaterial realms is crucial for addressing the complex societal and environmental challenges we tackle through our work. At Foundation We Are, we strive to leverage design as a tool for social innovation by fostering collaborations that transcend traditional boundaries between disciplines.

Currently, this approach is being applied in our Collaborations for Future (CFF) program, where we explore how creative professionals can collaborate effectively with climate scientists. To find this out, 10 designers and 10 scientists have been working together, for a period of 9 months, without a predefined outcome, topic or role-division. This research is collaborative, involving regular collective and individual reflections with the participants. Each stage of the program delves into issues ranging from labor precarity and disciplinary inequalities to the challenges of sustaining continuity in both academic and creative practices, to the value of small-scale interventions in institutional contexts.

To carry this process and collective reflection, five community meetings were planned. In our third community meeting, we invited Shay Raviv, known for her research Beyond Projects, to lead a workshop and discussion on the theme of continuity. Raviv’s insights emphasized the importance of considering both the material and immaterial conditions that affect the longevity of design projects.

We first encountered this duality in 2018, in the We Are Human Rights project that brought together 7 designers and 7 human rights defenders in a four-month experimental collaboration. The structure of this project closely resembles that of CFF, prompting us to revisit and expand our understanding of the material and immaterial aspects of design in the present context.

The Material and Immaterial in Designing for Human Rights

In We Are Human Rights: The Research, Kornelia Dimitrova mapped out the history of architecture and design in relation to the evolution of human rights. The article presented historic seven examples of how material and immaterial human rights have been shaped by the socio-economic norms of their time. Through these examples, we differentiated between the needs for material and immaterial human rights—such as the right to property, shelter, play, education, and equal treatment, among others.?

Contextualized by this timeline, the seven proposals created in the collaborations between designers and human rights defenders, highlighted the institutional and representational character of the ‘social’. At the time, social design was beginning to gain articulation. We proposed that the next phase of the co-evolution of design and human rights would address institutional renewal and representation practices. Institutions play a vital role in the immaterial aspects of the ‘social’, focusing on the public authorities and their practices as an object of design. Representational practices, on the other hand, have the power to influence individuals across political regimes, opening a space of designing cultural and systemic issues. For designers committed to human rights, it is still crucial to consider these two lenses before deciding on an approach to their design process and collaborations.

(Find out more about the project here)

The Material and Immaterial in Envisioning Continuity

The Collaborations for Future program emphasizes transdisciplinary collaborations and the freedom to explore creative interests without predefined expectations. Shay Raviv facilitated the third meeting, where the designers and scientists gained new perspectives on how to envision the continuity of their projects beyond its confines.

In the analysis that followed, Raviv highlighted the importance of considering both the visible/material and the invisible/immaterial continuity of projects. She emphasized that these aspects provide essential starting points for developing sustainable paths forward—whether in the form of a new project, an intention, a developed experiment, or an ongoing initiative. Raviv proposes that projects can find continuity through material means, such as logistics, spaces, tools, resources, and maintenance, as well as through immaterial ones—such as continuity strategies, institutional relationships, and desired outcomes. In a finite world, what can we consistently commit to?

(Read the full article here)

Reflecting on the Past, Envisioning the Future

The We Are Human Rights project was an experiment driven by optimism and a desire to engage in work beyond traditional outcome-driven approaches. However, we quickly confronted the precarious nature of creative endeavors. Continuity, we discovered, lies in our working methods, which have shaped our assignments and experimental programs over the past six years.

Achieving continuity in design processes—particularly in cross-disciplinary and open-ended projects—presents significant challenges. We conduct thorough contextual research and continuously evaluate and adapt our design projects. By researching collaboration dynamics and supporting their development, we aim to offer practical advice and insights to those interested in building effective collaborations between scientists and design professionals.

Through interdisciplinary collaborations, contextual research, space for experimentation and creativity, and continuous evaluation, we strive to generate insights that can inspire and inform policymaking and commissioning practices. We remain committed to exploring the potential of design practice across all scales and media and invite designers, activists, policymakers, and community members to join us in this endeavor.