Perspectives for a More-Than-Human Design Practice

Abstract

The escalating environmental crisis of the Anthropocene challenges conventional design paradigms, which predominantly center on human users and linear consumption models. This article explores emerging perspectives of more-than-human design practices that seek to decenter the human, embracing ecological interconnectedness and multispecies coexistence. We examine three main approaches – biomimetic design, interspecies design, and speculative design – highlighting projects and methodologies that promote ethical engagement, empathy, and mutual benefits between humans and nonhuman agents. Through case analyses such as biomimetic bird-safe glass, interspecies collaboration with albatrosses to monitor illegal fishing, and speculative design imagining posthuman futures, we discuss how these practices challenge anthropocentrism and contribute to sustainability. We argue for a shift from user-centered design to more inclusive, ecologically responsible design practices that foster multispecies flourishing and planetary well-being.