Lecture and Panel discussion
John Thackara. Care, Value & Place: The New Agenda for Design
IED, in collaboration with the Circolo del Design, presents a free online lecture in English with John Thackara, author and leading figure in contemporary design, and lecturer in the Master in Social Ecological Design at IED Torino. The lecture focuses on the role of design in processes of social, ecological, and territorial transformation.
The event offers a reflection on the concept of “design thinking” and on systems thinking, starting from a central question: what if the limit lies in the word “thinking” itself? From this perspective, John Thackara will move the focus from analysis to action, through examples of real projects that affect local environments and communities.
During the lecture, Thackara will present cases of companies and local areas that use design to regenerate urban spaces, activate local supply chains, create micro-forests, and develop initiatives in collaboration with schools and citizens. The talk will also address the theme of territorial partnerships and introduce the concept of Business2Place (B2P) as an emerging field of collaboration between companies, local administrations, and specific contexts.
A dedicated focus will explore the professional opportunities that are emerging for the next generation of designers, who are increasingly involved in situated, collaborative, and impact-oriented projects.
John Thackara is an author, curator and educator He hosted the celebrated Doors of Perception conference for 20 years, first in Amsterdam, later across India. He was commissioner of the UK social innovation biennial Dott 07, and the French design biennial City Eco Lab. And in 2019, he curated the Urban-Rural expo in Shanghai, where he is Visiting Professor at Tongji University. His 12 books have been published in 14 languages, including two in Chinese. His book In The Bubble was awarded an ADI Compasso D’oro, recognized as the Nobel prize of the design world. In 2025 he was awarded thew Frontier Design Prize in China