CO-ACT – Multispecies Design in Practice

The CO-ACT – Multispecies Design in Practice, is a book that explores various sensory approaches comprising visual, auditory, tactile, and kinaes- thetic methods, tools, and recipes for encouraging ethical co-actions among multispecies actors engaged in a design process. The book derives from an Artistic Research Project, called the CO-ACT project.

As a case, the CO-ACT project examines soil conditions at former and current textile dye sites in Denmark. The purpose of this investigation is to bring attention to the challenges that arise from the intra-action between soils and wastewater generated by textile dye production. Its objective is to advocate for transformative action, particularly in the realm of sensory and multispecies design, to nurture future co-production. Rather than viewing production as a static system, the CO-ACT project embraces the concept of co-production as dynamic and alive, acknowledging the significance of the multispecies actors involved in the design process.

With developed learning materials such as the CO-ACT methods and tools, as well as traveling exhibitions, the CO-ACT project advocates for a re-evaluation of design practices, urging the adoption of holistic approaches that foster caring relationships among multispecies actors involved in the design process. You can use this link to explore the CO-ACT Method Cards

The CO-ACT project is underpinned by posthuman and regenerative design thinking. These theories have guided the CO-ACT project’s explorations, which aim to examine co-action with multispecies actors in practice. I speculate on how this approach can be integrated into future design processes by developing diverse methods and tools. With this book, I encourage you to use and further develop the methods and tools presented here. By sharing new perspectives, experiences, knowledge, and learnings, I aim to inspire you to physically explore multispecies co-action in your process and stimulate your curiosity about using these insights to evolve your practice.