Re-conceptualizing Design Through the Capability Approach

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to identify what capabilities matter so that we can design an environment that resonates with our conceptions of good. Using the capability approach as our theoretical lens, we look at design in terms of its centrality in any notion of personhood, multidimensional indicators of the conditions of possibility for designing, and the instrumental freedoms associated with having the capability to design. We see this issue as orthogonal to those that consider how the capability approach can inform the design of technologies. We discuss the advantages of our approach over efforts in the humanitarian design community, which focus on building design capacity directly through training.