IMPERMANENCE. An Alternative Design Narrative in the Souths of the World

This open call, promoted by the University of San Marino and the Scientific College of Design (Muscat, Oman), invites scholars, designers, and researchers to reflect on the role of design in navigating impermanence across diverse “Souths” of the world – both geographical and conceptual. From depopulated rural communities to rapidly transforming urban centers, from colonial legacies to digital ephemerality, we seek critical perspectives on how design engages with transience, adaptation, and resilience. How can design respond to the instability of contemporary geopolitical, ecological, and socio-economic landscapes? How does it interact with traditions, rootedness, and marginality in regions shaped by histories of displacement and imposed modernization? We encourage contributions that challenge dominant narratives and explore alternative frameworks for innovation in impermanent contexts.

About Springer Series in Design and Innovation

Springer Series in Design and Innovation (SSDI) publishes books on innovation and the latest developments in the fields of Product Design, Interior Design and Communication Design, with particular emphasis on technological and formal innovation, and on the application of digital technologies and new materials. The series explores all aspects of design, e.g. Human-Centered Design/User Experience, Service Design, and Design Thinking, which provide transversal and innovative approaches oriented on the involvement of people throughout the design development process. In addition, it covers emerging areas of research that may represent essential opportunities for economic and social development.

Design and Resilience: Facing Uncertainty in the Global Souths

• Design practices of resilience and adaptation to the socio-economic, political, and environmental challenges in the Global South

• Between uncertainty and impermanence, design seeks sustainable and adaptive solutions

Reuse and Revitalization: Design Practices in Impermanent Contexts

• Reuse and urban revitalization as design strategies in the Global South

• Lasting solutions in fragile or rapidly changing contexts born from design that knows how to exploit limited resources and waste materials

Aesthetics of Impermanence: Design and Material Culture in the Global South

• Aesthetics of impermanence, the transient, and the ephemeral in the design cultures of the Global South

• Changes in materials, forms, and design practices in dialogue with local craftsmanship

Social Transformations and Design: Reflections on Fluidity, Identity, and Modernity

• The relationship between design and local cultures in response to rapid social changes in the Global Souths

• Co-learning, co-creation, and the use of open technologies as responses to local needs and rapid transformations in the Global South