Transforming Design Education Through Life-Centered Systems Thinking: Growing Bio-Designers in the Classroom

Abstract: Abstract: The rapid pace of industrial growth over the past two centuries has propelled humanity into dominating nature, resulting in the degradation of Earth's critical life systems and a disconnection from our intrinsic human essence within a sentient planet. While natural systems operate in circular, closed-loop patterns, human-designed systems adhere to open-loop linear models, contributing to our detachment from community, habitat, and locality cues. To realign our trajectory and anticipate a sustainable future, integrating Life-centered Systems Thinking (LCST) into design education emerges as a promising approach. This paper advocates for the incorporation of LCST principles, such as systems mapping, biomimicry, and causal loop analysis (exploration of cause and effect in a circular visual), into design curricula to foster a new generation of biodesigners. By contrasting LCST with human-centered design (HCD), it underscores LCST's non-linear, inclusive, and biologically rooted problem-framing methodology. Drawing from three years of pedagogical experimentation, the paper offers practical lesson plans to facilitate hands-on learning experiences for design students. Through engaging in activities that explore the interrelationships between human and biological realms, students develop a holistic understanding of design challenges and gain insights into regenerative design solutions inspired by nature. This shift towards LCST equips educators with the tools to nurture bio and regenerative design thinking in students, fostering a more sustainable and inclusive design ethos. Ultimately, this paper aims to empower design educators to embrace LCST, facilitating the cultivation of a new wave of designers capable of addressing the complex challenges of the future.