The ‘Redesign Everything Challenge’, launched at the start of 2024 by Dutch platform What Design Can Do (WDCD), seeks to celebrate and nurture the world’s most creative climate solutions from alternative food systems to clean energy startups and urban air purification. Eleven winners were selected from over 30 shortlisted nominees, with proposals that span the redeployment of biomaterials in manufacturing, ecosystem restoration, climate and social justice; we hear from the spectrum of winning designers in this interview.

This interview has been developed as part of a media partnership with What Design Can Do.

KOOZ The Redesign Everything Challenge nurtures the work of designers who explore the potential of design to address climate impacts. How does this approach suggest a repositioning of the “framework” of design itself?

THE REVIVAL The Redesign Everything Challenge pushes designers to rethink how design can tackle climate issues. It shifts the focus from just creating products to considering their environmental impact. This requires a new framework for design, one that prioritises sustainability and addresses climate concerns from the start.

REEF CYCLE The climate crisis is an urgent design challenge. The role of design is what it always has been — we solve problems by reading patterns, building hypotheses, and developing prototypes so new ideas can be visualised as early as possible. This perspective goes beyond the creation of objects or services, reaching into the realms of ecological and social healing.

A BITE OF EXTINCTION I believe far too often design is taught and practised within a niche, by a niche and for a niche. Challenges like these encourage us to look outside of our comfort zone and to view design as a holistic approach to collaborate and rethink.

CELIUM BY POLYBION Design operates with the precept of ‘form follows function’ to solve a problem — but function is tied to the existence of the object or thing itself, within its context. If the context, being the environment, ceases to exist or changes in such an abrupt way, then the design is no longer suitable for the conditions in which it was produced. Thus design must be rethought. Design must operate under this new precept: form follows function and function is tied to sustainability.

CELLSENSE Reframing design for climate impact means integrating ecological considerations into every design decision, emphasising circularity, innovation in materials, and the long-term environmental footprint. This approach transforms design from a mere aesthetic practice to a pivotal tool in combating climate change

GERMINATORIUM Design creates relationships between us and what is around us. From small objects to large territorial extensions, everything is designed to suit our bodies. We changed everything, we suffered consequences and now, we need to design with the other living beings on the planet in mind.

CO-CULTURING RITUALS The Redesign Everything Challenge demands a paradigm shift from linear, consumption-focused design to circular, regenerative practices. It encourages designers to rethink material usage, prioritise sustainability, and foster innovative solutions that minimise environmental impact, addressing climate challenges through holistic and eco-conscious design principles.

ELECTRIC SKIN Electric Skin is a self-powering material that explores the potential of new forms of continuous, autonomous energy production from humidity in the air around us. We are challenging design by reimagining our electronic devices' impact and life cycle and creating ways to charge that are not reliant on electric grids or batteries.

BREATHEEASY Climate impacts burden the most vulnerable disproportionately. Design services traditionally cater to those with resources and access, leaving marginalised communities underserved. The design frameworks must incorporate more collaborative, sustainable, and equitable approaches, creating innovative solutions rooted in the needs and strengths of the most vulnerable communities.

LOOOP CAN Looop Can reframes the design framework by seamlessly integrating sustainable practices with fundamental physics principles to minimise water usage. This approach ensures the product's cultural appropriateness, showcasing design as a potent tool for fostering positive behavioural changes while conserving essential resources.

FORESTGUARD A little-known fact about wildfires is that their emissions contribute nearly as much to global emissions as industrial emissions do. In the grand scheme of things, using ForestGuard to detect fires helps us combat climate change.

KOOZ Some of your projects reimagine traditional materials and processes, offering sustainable alternatives that reduce waste and consumption. To what extent does this entail a reimagination of our relationship and over reliance on materials and products?

CELIUM BY POLYBION If one is realistic about human behaviour, macroeconomic conditions and market dynamics, we must start with offering circular materials that perform at least as well as existing incumbents. The solution lies in both reducing the amount of materials consumed as well as offering and using net-zero materials one day. Unfortunately global consumption is not decreasing — quite the contrary, while human populations keep growing. Thus the second approach is a better solution at this moment in time, and we must keep exploring solutions to reduce reliance on materials and consumption in general. In this way we can work on both frontiers in parallel, arriving at a sustainable civilisation in less time.

CELLSENSE Approximately 40% of a brand's carbon footprint stems from the materials used. Often, there's a disconnect between design and production; materials superficially accepted as sustainable — such as natural dyes and bamboo textiles — have major negative effects downstream. The common perception is that sustainable solutions for fashion can't scale due to reliance on rare resources, limiting them to boutique luxury. This informed our choice to use algae and cellulose, which grow exponentially and support high demand levels.

Cellsense has developed a method to transform algae and cellulose into durable, transparent bio-embellishments. We engineer bacteria to produce vivid colours and bioluminescence, replacing toxic dyes. To form completed beaded garments, we use a 3D printed loom, and robotically controlled syringes to directly deposit our biopolymer embellishments in complex patterns onto textile: this cannot be accomplished with traditional thermoplastic and eliminates significant manual labour.

To mitigate environmental impacts, the fashion industry must prioritise garment longevity and recyclability over short-lived trends. Conventional embellishments, made from petroleum plastics and resins, are manually assembled into garments and worn only five times on average before ending up in landfills, contributing to the microplastic crisis.

CO-CULTURING RITUALS The problem of materials is intrinsically linked to both the type of materials used and our relationship with them. Traditional materials and processes often lead to significant waste and environmental degradation. By reimagining these materials, we can develop sustainable alternatives that reduce consumption and waste. However, this alone is insufficient. It is essential to fundamentally reimagine our relationship with materials and our reliance on products.

Our project illustrates this dual approach. By integrating living micro-algae into wearable materials, we offer a sustainable alternative that leverages natural regenerative properties, reducing dependency on harmful chemicals and non-renewable resources. This innovation not only provides a practical solution for modern skincare but also exemplifies the broader potential for sustainable design in various fields, including architecture.

Moreover, this approach necessitates a cultural shift towards valuing longevity, reusability, and environmental harmony. By fostering an understanding of the symbiotic relationship between humans and natural materials, we can cultivate a mindset that prioritises ecological balance. Ultimately, addressing the climate impact through design requires both innovative material choices and a profound transformation in how society perceives and interacts with materials, emphasising sustainability, regeneration, and reduced reliance on consumptive practices.

ELECTRIC SKIN ⁠Our work is deeply rooted in observing and collaborating with the intelligence of our living planet. We believe the most significant aspect of design in our era. Imagining a multitude of alternative ways of creating, also requires work alongside interdisciplinary groups and communities. This is how the Earth thrives! Diversity diffuses stress points, creates niches, and encourages evolution.

Copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel—among other minerals crucial for batteries — are scarce. They comprise only about 1% of the Earth's crust. In essence, it's a MATERIALITY issue.As designers, we must think outside the box to solve such a big challenge. Electric Skin has emerged at the intersection of technology and electronics — two industries that typically do not intersect. It harnesses the innovation of soil bacteria that generate electric charge from water molecules in the air. Building on sound academic research, we are developing designs that are not reliant on fossil fuels, and are regenerative, sustainable, and even partially compostable.

By tapping into unconventional, regenerative, and widely available sources of power, such as ambient humidity, we aspire for our self-powering material to be one of the many diverse innovations in energy harvesting that are transforming our relationship to energy and shifting our overreliance and exploitation of materials, monocultures, and communities intricately linked to our current paradigm.

KOOZ Meanwhile, other projects draw inspiration from nature, leveraging biological innovations to restore and regenerate ecosystems. Could you each share one inspiration which has dramatically changed the way you approach design as a restorative practice?

REEF CYCLE I’m inspired by the principles of regenerative agriculture, a practice that has revitalised our relationship with the soil. It reminds us of a fundamental truth: when we nourish the land, the land in turn can nourish us. By restoring natural systems, we reduce the need for chemicals and achieve higher yields with less investment. Nature offers its own self-regulated ecological services. Regenerative agriculture exemplifies a holistic design approach, operating within large, interconnected systems and emphasising the long-term benefits of our actions.

We are currently experiencing a profound transformation in how we perceive and approach the role of contemporary design in our world. Design is inherently about creating relationships — whether those bonds are with people, objects, materials, environments, or entire ecosystems. Inspired by regenerative agriculture, my approach to design as a restorative practice aims to heal the human-nature relationship. By engaging everyday people, systems, and processes in regenerating nature, design addresses human-centred needs while simultaneously tackling planet-centred challenges.

A BITE OF EXTINCTION A fundamental inspiration that changed my view on design was becoming aware of the act of eating. We do it every day but, more often than not, we do it thoughtlessly. Nutrition, pleasure, sense of belonging and health benefits are fundamental to measure our meals, but can be applied to design as well. Is this design nurturing someone else? Can it nurture other species? If it is purely functional, does it neglect other essential aspects? After all, the most functional food could be a pill. I try not to create an equivalent design “pills”.

Then there is a selfish factor: I love eating and I want to keep eating great food! Everyone should have a right to great food, both nutritious and comforting. Since I will not be able to taste ingredients that have gone extinct already, I turn to design as a restorative practice for this not to repeat in the future. Nevertheless when I talk about restoration it goes together with evolution: not forgetting about past wisdoms while continuing to investigate. It is when we combine new findings with past contexts — or past knowledge with new contexts — that innovation by design is the most exciting to me.

GERMINATORIUM Once I turned into a plant. Branches, leaves, roots came out of my body, and as it grew, it occupied the space around it, changing my relationship with it. Without being able to walk, but only grow and flourish, I perceived the world as an orbit of phenomena. A beautiful sun, the pleasure in a quick blast of rain, pleasant weather and a lot of peace... suddenly interrupted! A cloud of locusts lands on me and devours me leaf by leaf!

Aware of the space advancing on me as it ceased to exist, I noticed the grasshoppers moving away, leaving me like a small twig with a leaf. I immediately grew back. The sensory experience made me take other perspectives into account. How to include plants and other species, with their needs, in the design? Design has become interdisciplinary, in close collaboration with botanists, biologists and other specialists to enhance solutions that go beyond what is sustainable; promoting environmental regeneration, and “cultivating” relationships between people, plants, animals, so that diverse ecosystems can coexist in their entirety. Design must have an understanding of these interspecies relationships in its constitution, helping to create a new label.

KOOZ Several projects address design’s role for social and climate justice. How do your projects approach the term justice? What does it mean to design for intergenerational justice?

THE REVIVAL At The Revival, we see justice as integral to our design ethos. We approach social justice by ensuring fair working conditions for artisans and promoting gender equality in our workforce. For climate justice, we prioritise environmental sustainability, minimising waste and carbon footprint. Designing for intergenerational justice means creating solutions that benefit present and future generations. For example, repurposing textile waste not only reduces pollution now but also preserves resources for future use, ensuring a healthier planet for generations to come.

BREATHEEASY Air pollution is a pressing issue in Indian cities, raising urgent questions about mitigation and adaptation. In this context, solutions like air purifiers benefit groups with resources and means. On the other hand, low-income, dense urban neighbourhoods face a double burden of air pollution — first at a city scale and second from local factors such as biomass usage and densely packed living conditions. This results in long-term health hazards without visible solutions. In these spatially and economically constrained contexts, BreatheEasy strives to make a difference.

BreatheEasy acknowledges socio-economic challenges and aims to provide accessible and affordable solutions for marginalised communities. These solutions are not just products but knowledge systems designed to transcend generations. We interpret “justice” as empowering individuals and future generations through knowledge, enabling them to protect themselves against climate challenges like air pollution. This approach aims to instil a sense of equality in cities.

LOOOP CAN For Looop Can, justice entails designing solutions that are culturally sensitive while providing equitable menstrual hygiene management for all generations, regardless of their circumstances. We recognise that a lack of privacy, inadequate lighting, and distant toilets and showers in refugee camps heighten the risk of gender-based violence (GBV). Looop Can addresses this issue by enabling users to wash their pads privately within their shelters, thus mitigating the risk associated with venturing out at night to use communal facilities.

Designing for intergenerational justice means creating products that not only meet the immediate needs of marginalised communities but also conserve essential resources for future generations. Looop Can offers an alternative to internal menstrual products, which may be culturally and religiously taboo for some menstruators. By significantly reducing water consumption in the cleaning process, Looop Can helps preserve water — a critical resource for the future.

Our approach ensures that menstrual hygiene is managed in a manner that is culturally respectful, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable, benefiting both current and future generations. Through Looop Can, we strive to promote intergenerational justice by addressing present needs while safeguarding resources for the future.

Bios

“BreatheEasy” is a project by research and design consultancy Architecture for Dialogue, which focuses on the built environment. It builds partnerships across domains of climate, housing and urban habitat. Since its inception in 2020, AfD has participated in projects across themes like sustainable mobility, agriculture, waste management and air pollution.

“Germinatorium” is a project by Cerrado Infinito is the first experiment to recreate a cerrado landscape within a public urban area. A refuge for plants inevitably extinct due to the development of the city of São Paulo, pushed to the outskirts until their complete disappearance. The project rescues them, mapping survivors, collecting seedlings and seeds to be planted together, gradually restoring the visual aspect of the extinct Campos de Piratininga.The attempt is to reprogram territories within the city, returning the land to a zero point, prior to colonial occupation. It is also an effort to cultivate an abandoned and biodiverse terrain, of plants, animals,and people, as they recover the memory of the place they inhabit.

Loop Can is a design team dedicated to revolutionising menstrual hygiene and promoting sustainable practices. Their mission is to break down the barriers that hold individuals back from managing their periods with dignity and confidence and are committed to addressing the global challenges of period poverty, environmental sustainability, and social stigmas surrounding menstruation.

Cellsense is a project founded by Aradhita Parasrampuria, a trained materials designer and researcher, and utilises algae and regenerated cellulose to develop bio-embellishments and is now developing manufacturing systems that can scale production for global impact, in order to replace sources of microplastic pollution in the design and beauty industries.

ForestGuard is a project founded in Turkey by a team composed of Ecem Ertan, Onur Sertgil, RANA İMAM ESİRGER, Suat Batuhan Esirger, ForestGuard is an IoT-based, satellite-connected sensor system that detects fires in real-time. The system notifies authorities when it catches fire with AI-integrated gas classification, allowing them to intervene before the fire spreads.

"Reef Rocket by Reefcycle" is a project by Norwegian-American Industrial Designer Mary Lempres, who received her MID from Pratt Institute while enrolled in the CERN IdeaSquare Challenge-Based Innovation program. She completed her undergraduate studies in Fine Art with concurrent studies in Biology and Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Her work focuses on designing with new materials and biological processes to forward accessible design while eliminating the environmental impact of consumer products.

The Revival, founded by Yayra Agbofah, is a pioneering community-led sustainable design NGO committed to addressing textile waste challenges globally. Based in Ghana, it seamlessly integrates education, awareness, art, and job creation. Through innovative upcycling and recycling initiatives, it has diverted over 1 million garments from landfills and oceans, simultaneously reducing air pollution caused by burning textile waste. The Revival’s impact extends to approximately 2,000 people globally through free online courses and lectures. It envisions a future where 20 million garments considered waste are diverted from landfill and ocean, an upcycling hub is established in Africa, and legislation curtails overproduction.

“A Bite of Extinction” is a research project by German-Spanish holistic designer Carla Rotenberg who creates narratives, objects, illustrations and visual languages, many times related to social and historical phenomenons surrounding food and human’s relationship to it. She is enrolled in the MA in Contemporary Design at Aalto University, Helsinki, and holds a Bachelor in Design from IE University, Madrid, with a study abroad at Northeastern University, Boston.

“Electric Skin” is a project developed by biodesigners Nada Elkharashi, Catherine Euale, Sequoia Fischer and Paige Perillat-Piratoine. While the project is currently at the prototyping stage, the team is engaged in disseminating their research project and empowering a biocurious community to pursue divergent avenues of research.

“Celium” is a project developed by Polybion, an innovative company researching growing premium, next-generation materials designed with nature and manufactured with biology. The company’s mission is to bring performance and possibility to 21st Century designers and material engineers. Polybion uses waste as a raw material, and designs, produces, and finishes its bioassembled products under the same roof to increase sustainability and drive the circular economy.

“Co-culturing Rituals - Biosoothe” is a research project by London-based designer Namita Bhatnagar whose practice focuses in investigating the potential of combining micro-algae and bacterial cellulose to create a bio- composite material. The outcome of the project was a photosynthetic symbiotic material with potential applications in wound healing, skin repair and skin care.