The planet endured the hottest recorded year yet, natural calamities continue to agonise different parts of the world, the ecosystem dwindles with disruptions—the symptoms of a looming climate breakdown are no more subtle. With millions of people already facing and suffering from these tangible changes, humans have a small, yet critical, window of opportunity to act—radically, if need be. This action of change needs to permeate at every scale and every sector, a task that calls for creative solutions that cater to the diverse, yet somehow interconnected, desiderata. From the loss of biodiversity in the Amazon to plastic waste in Kenya or the housing crisis in the Netherlands, the complications are nuanced and varied; so how can the solutions be unidimensional or categorical? Is it time to reimagine the world and redesign everything?

With this in mind, What Design Can Do (WDCD) announces the launch of the Redesign Everything Challenge, its fifth Climate Action Challenge in collaboration with the IKEA Foundation. The challenge was kicked off on January 17, 2024, set to be executed in India until March 13, 2024, by local amplification partners Unbox Cultural Futures and research partners, Quicksand Design Studio. On January 20, 2024, the initiative took over Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi to unveil the ‘Redesign Everything Challenge’ in an iconic setting. “Redesigning everything is first and foremost a call to action,” Richard van der Laken, co-founder and creative director of What Design Can Do, says. “It’s also an invitation to think laterally about how our world should be redesigned, in ways both big and small. Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need for inclusive and circular solutions, and for the transformative and disruptive power of design,” he adds.

WDCD is an international platform that spotlights design as a tool for social change. Since its inception in 2011, through numerous activities, they have promoted the role of designers in catering to the world’s most pressing issues. Following 15 successful conferences in Amsterdam, São Paulo, and México City, WDCD launched an ambitious design challenge programme in 2016. The challenge intended to engage the creative community and nudge them to address urgent societal issues such as the well-being of refugees and climate change. This year, in light of the rampant planetary turmoil, WDCD throws the door wide open for its most expansive challenge yet—Redesign Everything. “We’re asking changemakers everywhere to redesign absolutely everything. With so much at stake, nothing less will do,” Ayush Chauhan, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Quicksand Design Studio & Unbox Cultural Futures, tells STIR. “No sector can do this alone — but designers can make an impact by shifting from linear to circular ways of making, using and living,” he adds.

The world currently encounters a web of problems, where most, if not all, issues are deeply—and increasingly—interconnected. Subsequently, the most efficient solutions ought to be too. WDCD calls upon innovators from across the globe to submit radical ideas across five main disciplines: product design, materials, communication design, spaces, systems and services. This call encapsulates all facets of our lives, emphasising the need for circular and regenerative solutions. The challenge seeks to answer the question: What role can designers play in the transition to a fair and circular future? Speaking about the role of WDCD’s latest edition, Liz McKeon, Head of Planet at the IKEA Foundation, says, “This demonstrates that designers can become the architects of solutions, building a bridge between imagination and impactful change, and have the transformative ability to shape transformation towards a sustainable future."

Working to tackle a climate crisis entails restructuring the economy, how it works and how it does not. In this crusade, the role of designers is one of radical imagination—making intangible ideas a reality, with vigour and optimism. The challenge assesses climate solutions that cut across disciplines; whether they are new ideas or existing enterprises, they must address how humans can reduce the overall footprint of industries. On being asked about the Indian design landscape, Chauhan notes, “Circular design is not new in India—as a country, we are known for our frugal and holistic innovations. We need to think about the future within this context and see how we can use design as a powerful, thoughtful and transformative tool to tackle some of the existing issues of unsustainable practices.” He explains further, “Designers can play a significant role in reshaping the climate narrative in India. To drive meaningful change, they must prioritise responsible sustainability, inclusivity, community engagement and open-source collaboration, in a way that centres local, traditional knowledge.”

The challenge is open to all designers, students and creative entrepreneurs from around the globe. Post the submissions in April 2024, a jury of leading experts in design, social impact and climate action will select 10 winners at least. Winning ideas will be actuated with €5.000 in funding and a global development programme, which includes online training, mentoring sessions and a boot camp. This programme will support the winning teams in further refining their projects and propelling them forward. As part of the WDCD Challenge network, winners will have the opportunity to be featured in global publications and opportunities to speak at WDCD events.