Changing the lens: Micro-systemic change through design interventions

Perez Ojeda, David and Kwon, Nuri (2026) Changing the lens: Micro-systemic change through design interventions. In: DRS2026 Edinburgh :. DRS2026 Edinburgh . UNSPECIFIED. (In Press)

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Abstract

This paper examines how design-led activities function as micro-systemic interventions that can influence people’s perceptions, actions and decision-making towards the futures. Using the optical metaphor of a design lens, we reinterpret Voros’ (2003) Futures Cone as a flexible field of vision that can be focused, dispersed, or magnified through design. The “design lens” serves as a conceptual framework comprising three components: design settings, information, and collectiveness. We apply this lens to two projects: a speculative walking workshop for policymaking, and a creative engagement project with residents in a social housing redevelopment. The aim is to examine how these elements interacted and how design activities were reshaped in response to participants' interactions. Our discussion emphasises its potential to influence people’s worldview, addressing the importance of the ethical implications in micro-systemic design. We argue that systemic change can emerge through micro-interventions situated in collective, reflective, and crucially ethical design settings.