FLUX 2023: Design Commoning

What does it mean to live in common?

This question can be approached in many ways. We could critique pressing issues like gentrification, the privatisation of public space, commodification of housing and resources, and the financialisation of knowledge and health. However, rather than only critiquing, we might choose to build something better — a shared way of life based on equality, collaboration, and mutual care. This calls for a blend of theory and practice that leads to tangible change. Design plays a crucial role in shaping these intimate, everyday connections, both material and immaterial. 

The FLUX symposium focuses on creating a space where academics and activists can work together to explore "commoning" — the practice of sharing resources and responsibilities. But what does "the commons" really mean? It can refer to physical things like shared land and resources, more abstract concepts like shared knowledge or culture, or even social systems where communities engage in commoning practices to sustain themselves. At the heart of the commons are ideas of sharing, reciprocity (mutual exchange), collaboration, and care, though these ideas can sometimes be debated. Commoning is also seen as a challenge to capitalist ideas of private property and profit, promoting collective ownership instead. Ultimately, choosing to live in common is a political act — a decision about how power is shared and distributed within society, one that is constantly questioned and redefined.

With this in mind, we aimed to consider both the impact and intent of designers by paying attention to the larger conversations happening in the community. We explored how we could contribute to knowledge creation that supported the "undercommons" — a space outside traditional institutions. To be sustainable, we needed to take a creative approach to the idea of Flux, staying flexible and open to change. This meant continuing to be designers in practice while also questioning what our role was within the broader community.

The symposium aimed to challenge us as designers to consider not just our intentions but the broader impact of our work, pushing us to think about how design can contribute to a more collective, inclusive knowledge production. By embracing the fluidity of the concept of Flux, we are invited to remain adaptable in our roles as designers and ask how we can continue to engage with and shape our broader communities.

The symposium delved into these ideas through three key themes: Commoning as Care, Commoning as Praxis, and Commoning as Resilience. A panel discussion on Urban Commoning and Gentrification featured activist Aysen Dennis, writer and journalist Anna Minton, and Professor Paul Watt. The keynote, delivered by Dr. Maria Carrizosa, focused on Commoning in Informal Contexts.