The environmental emergency of the last century, highlighted by the pandemic, has led to an urgent need to reformulate the predominant role of human beings on the planet by undertaking a less anthropocentric design approach. This urgency has been especially outlined by a re-evaluation of the concept of the Anthropocene, which can be defined as a geological era characterized by the significant human impact on the geology and ecosystems of the Earth. Within this theoretical framework, the book explores the role of Design as a multifaceted discipline capable of exploring the complexity of a changing world, and reconsiders the human being's position in a pervasive relationship with the contemporary environments (physical and abstract) through a More-than-Human approach.
This volume illustrates reflections, analyses, and interventions guided by or intersected with the concept of the post-Anthropocene, and traces two different scales of observation. The first, explored in the two starting chapters, highlights how the complexity of the topic requires a large-scale analysis perspective in order to be fully understood. The concept of the post-Anthropocene does not exclude the human being as a fundamental component but takes the latter as a departing point to frame wider contemporary needs and issues and to support a call for action to envision and shape the future. The second part of the book instead explores the possibility to include, within this broad discussion, the theme of More-than-Human applied to specific disciplines - linked to the culture of Design - analyzing different aspects that move from taxonomy, application, and creativity.