If you’re not in an existential crisis as a designer focused on wellbeing, you’re not doing it right!

Abstract

Wellbeing has become a salient issue, often on many countries’ political agendas as a priority to stimulate prosperity while safeguarding the protection of the planet. The creation of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) involves 17 goals for health and prosperity. And yet, emerging natural and social threats such as public health crises, wars, floods, and famine are disproportionately affecting poorer populations. These circumstances are an existential threat to the capacity of vulnerable people in their quest to live well. Based on current research and experiences at DRS SIGWELL, we argue that happiness is a fundamental human value (as opposed to a privilege) for wellbeing, and that Design for Wellbeing (DfW) can contribute to the happiness of vulnerable people and their communities in supportive ways that work for them. At the same time, we are painfully aware of the critique that DfW could be considered ‘elitist’. In this short piece, we respond to this critique and outline research insights that might expand the impact of DfW on vulnerable people and their communities.