Design as/for Common(s): Decolonial Participatory Experiences for Post-Capitalist Resilient Future(s)

The catastrophic effects of the Anthropocene are evident. Manifestations of crisis are not only environmental, but also economic, social, political and ethical: combined with the dystopian imaginaries of the future, they suggest the need for a paradigm shift. The Commons are seen as an alternative for a transition to a post-capitalist economy. Yet, Design for social innovation is understood as a humanitarian action and remains linked to the logic of commodification; reason why some call for decolonizing Design from West- ern abstractions. The focus is on the relationship between Design and Commons, with particular attention to decolo- nial thinking. Following an action research approach that consisted in “inhabiting” the oasis of Chenini in Tunisia as a Commons in crisis, the idea was to understand the role of Design in the paradigm shift from an extractivist growth economy to a resource economy; Design as attached to situations rather than objects.