John Thackara presented the lecture Care, Value and Place for the Master in Social Ecological Design at IED Torino, in collaboration with Circolo del Design, bringing a timely and radical reflection on the future of design.
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Care, Value and Place: A New Agenda for Design
Date
24 February 2026
In a world that has exceeded its ecological limits, John Thackara invited students and the public to rethink the role of design radically. During the lecture Care, Value and Place, " organised in collaboration with Circolo del Design, he proposed a new design agenda grounded in the care of people and territories. At the heart of his reflection was the idea that the health of living systems (soil, water and communities) should become the guiding principle of design decisions, moving beyond the paradigm of growth and productive intensity.
Through concrete examples ranging from natural farming in India to the regeneration of local food systems and rural economies, Thackara showed that change is already underway. In this perspective, design is not only about producing objects or services, but about activating relationships and connections between social, economic and ecological ecosystems, embracing care as the foundation of a more conscious and responsible design practice.
John Thackara is a leading figure in contemporary design culture: an author, curator and educator. For twenty years, he directed Doors of Perception and curated major biennials focusing on social innovation, ecology and regional development. A visiting professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, he is the author of 12 books translated into 14 languages. With In the Bubble, he won the ADI Compasso d’Oro and, in 2025, the Frontier Design Prize in China.
👇🏻 Watch the full Lecture below!
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