Marie Van den Bergh, Nora K. Bakke, Esther Noëth, and Stine Moons
Recently, the act of destabilising, breaking down, and phasing out unsustainable practices to free up time and space for the scaling of innovative niche activities has gained increasing attention in the context of sustainability transitions. The concept of exnovation—essentially removing old practices to foster new possibilities—holds great promise. In addition to broadening our perspectives to envision improved futures, it also allows us to thoughtfully discard longstanding practices that have been ecologically harmful. However, the challenge lies in translating this theoretical concept into practical applications. This paper describes a collaborative effort between design practitioners and design researchers to refine a phase of the exnovation framework by Noëth et al. (2023) into an actionable tool. One phase of the framework, Visualising an empty future, is highlighted because of its potential in the context of design and future visioning. This phase was translated into an explorative workshop with a Norwegian design agency. The results show that focusing on exnovation prompts designers to shift their traditionally innovation-centric mindset. Moreover, the role and importance of designers as facilitators in systemic change were reaffirmed, and the tool’s applicability was heavily dependent on its context and positioning in design practice. The study concludes that the value of these practical and designerly explorations is vital for advancing sustainability transitions.
KEYWORDS: exnovation, sustainability transitions, transition design, design practice, futures thinking
RSD TOPIC(S): Cases & Practice, Methods & Methodology, Socioecological Design