A Sense of Purpose with Lisa Grocott, Shanti Sumartojo and Alisdair Gurling

In design, we do not spend much time sitting with why we personally do what we do. And yet, knowing what motivates us can profoundly re-align a practice that is oftentimes determined by external economic, market, or organisational forces. Design’s focus on process and outcomes oftentimes assumes we are drawn to the field because we like to make. Yet as design seeks to envision more equitable and ecologically sustainable futures, the idea of meaning-making is being expanded and reframed.

This workshop is for design researchers, students, and practitioners curious to more deeply understand the sense of purpose that charges your ethical commitments, research inquiry, and creative curiosity. Building on research into self-determination and intrinsic motivation, the creative workshop will create space for designers to deepen the animating force between what they do and why they do it.