Symbiotic Design Framework

Symbiotic Design Framework

Rethinking Design from within

ByGonzalo Raineri

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Is contemporary design failing us? In an era defined by cascading crises—from ecological collapse to profound social inequality—prevailing design paradigms often feel inadequate, complicit in the very systems driving unsustainability. Dr. Gonzalo Raineri Bernain's Symbiotic Design Framework offers a radical, theoretically robust alternative for academics, researchers, and advanced practitioners seeking to fundamentally reorient the discipline. This seminal work introduces a groundbreaking proposition: Design as an autopoietic (self-creating) social system. Drawing rigorously from systems biology (Maturana, Varela), cybernetics, and sociology (Luhmann), Raineri argues that design sustains and evolves itself through its own internal operations. Understanding this self-producing nature is crucial for intervening effectively. The framework provides a powerful diagnostic and strategic lens built on the biological concept of symbiosis. It moves beyond analyzing isolated components to evaluating the relationships between them. Are they mutualistic, parasitic, commensal? This relational analysis is guided by the framework's non-negotiable ethical core: the "Four Mottos"; Ethics, Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Economics. The Symbiotic Design Framework challenges practitioners to move beyond designing mere objects or optimizing flawed systems. It demands a shift towards stewarding living relationships over time, consciously engaging with design as an inherently political act, and actively countering the extractive logics of the Capitalocene. It is a call to embrace complexity, pluriversality, and ethical courage. Intended for design theorists, doctoral researchers, educators, and high-level practitioners, this book also offers invaluable insights for professionals in systems thinking, sustainability, social innovation, policy, and any field grappling with wicked problems and seeking transformative, ethically grounded approaches. It is not another methodology; it is a fundamental recalibration of the design discipline itself. 231 Terms and Concepts listed. 177 Authors and Thinkers mentioned. 161 Examples listed, 35 of them with images.

Details

Publication Date
Nov 26, 2025
Language
English
ISBN
9789083621623
Category
Art & Photography
Copyright
All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
Contributors
By (author): Gonzalo Raineri

Specifications

Pages
336
Binding Type
Hardcover Case Wrap
Interior Color
Color
Dimensions
A4 (8.27 x 11.69 in / 210 x 297 mm)

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