As a design agency, we witness how emerging technologies are reshaping everyday life on a social, economical and political level. Together with global challenges such as the climate crisis, it makes us question and reevaluate the “human-centric” design paradigm we are used to. The more-than-human discourse aims to challenge this and offers a way to deal with the complexity, agency and relationally that modern transformations and challenges characterises.

Yet, the more-than-human discourse often stays within the boundaries of academia and artistic practices. At BMD, we believe there is a strong need for designers to consider how humans cohabit with other other-than-human entities, especially those that might be less obvious when defining a design space. To bridge the gap between academia and the arts to more practical and commercial application fields, we created the more-than-human card deck.

The card deck

The card deck can be used as a game to explore different human and non-human entities and their relationships in a playful manner, while linking them to more-than-human design theory. The card game can be used in the beginning of a project, to explore the web of actors in a project, but could as well be applied during different parts of it.

What comes next

Building on our commitment to bridging the gap between academia, arts, and practical applications, we are excited to announce the upcoming release of the physical more-than-human card deck. This card deck will make its debut during the Dutch Design Week, accompanied by an interactive workshop where participants can experience firsthand how the deck enhances their design practice. Following the launch, we will make the card deck widely accessible. Design professionals and enthusiasts will have the option to purchase the physical deck online or download a digital version for a nominal fee. Recognising the importance of education in advancing more-than-human design principles, we will offer free downloads for educational purposes.

License

More than human card deck © 2023 by Bureau Moeilijke Dingen is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0. users are free to utilize it with proper attribution to Bureau Moeilijke Dingen (BMD). However, remixing or modifying the deck is not permitted under this license.