From Concern to Care: A Transformative Reflection on Designing-with the Living

Abstract

Anthropocentric perspectives are common in design practice, but also contribute to a damaged planet. Requirements for sustainable processes resulted in novel practices such as biodesign, which investigates how living and regenerative resources can be used instead of artificial and polluting. However, many biodesign practices still seek to benefit humans. In this critique we compare the journey of two designers in the development of a toolkit to setup the bacterial powered light installation Electric Life for exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. We reflect on the designers' considerations when designing with microorganisms through the lenses of materiality, temporality, ecology, and agency. Our critique offers a discussion on the revision of a post-human biodesign approach from concern to care when designing-with the living and the questions we confronted throughout.