As the world changes, and we become more aware of our negative footprint on the environment and planet, so does design. Whereas design before was about providing new products and services to meet our needs, the purpose of design might now be more about changing our mindsets toward sustainable living, consciousness about the role of human beings in our natural ecosystems, and designing ways of being that align with our true and heartfelt longings.

As the world changes, and we become more aware of our negative footprint on the environment and planet, so does design. Whereas design before was about providing new products and services to meet our needs, the purpose of design might now be more about changing our mindsets toward sustainable living, consciousness about the role of human beings in our natural ecosystems, and designing ways of being that align with our true and heartfelt longings.

As the scope of design expands to address global challenges, its methodologies and mindsets must evolve accordingly. Currently, design, innovation, and design thinking are heavily influenced by Western, industrialized perspectives. To foster collaboration across borders, nationalities, and cultures, we need to embrace alternative design approaches that integrate insights and wisdom from diverse traditions—north, south, east, and west.

On a rainy autumn afternoon in Copenhagen, a group of Japanese professionals gathered at the Royal Danish Academy, School of Architecture and Design, to engage with experimental design thinking methods rooted in cross-cultural exploration.

This article reflects on the exchange of perspectives between east and west, highlighting the potential of bridging cultural wisdom to develop new sustainable design principles. Additionally, it offers practical tools and inspiration for facilitating workshops that explore new ways of cross-cultural collaboration.

Softening barriers for engagement

The Japanese group, all students of AIST Design School, were visiting Denmark and Europe to explore ways of creating a new three-way society that is more positive for people, nature, and all living things. This aim was placed at the centre of the workshop, using DesignWISE as a method to investigate personal and collective ambitions and principles of design proposals to reach this goal.

The desired outcome of the day was a collective aspiration formed by principles and cornerstones that can help the group navigate their future initiatives within their dreams, while considering the big picture of the wellbeing of our planet.

The AIST Design School consists of members from a diverse range of organizations, including other research institutes, companies and non-profits. It fosters an environment that respects the individual “aspiration” of each participant, making it a significantly more flat and egalitarian organization compared to typical Japanese institutions.

However, Japan is traditionally a society with deep-rooted hierarchical structures, especially evident in organisations and companies, where seniority, rank, and age are highly respected. While this system fosters discipline and order, it can also create significant barriers to open communication, particularly for individuals in lower ranks who may hesitate to express their opinions freely. Often, employees are more inclined to defer to senior staff, leading to a dynamic where valuable insights from all levels may remain unspoken.

Through the lens of DesignWISE, these barriers can be softened, allowing the group to engage with the task in a way that encouraged collaboration and shared ownership of the outcomes.

This approach was especially impactful for the Japanese group, who are expected to learn new ways of leading and working with traditional hierarchical organisations.

Start by grounding yourself in the present moment

As the participants arranged themselves in a circle, their first task was to close their eyes and shift their focus inward, turning their attention to their breath. The workshop began with this grounding, meditative exercise, inviting everyone to let go of the busyness of their study tour so far and set aside any lingering expectations about what lay ahead. Instead, the emphasis was on simply being present—observing and grounding oneself in the moment.

In this circle, each individual was no longer defined by their role or title but as a breathing human being. This intentional start created a space where distinctions began to fade, paving the way for openness and vulnerability.

The following is a text, that you can use as inspiration for your own grounding.

Connecting with seasons and wholeness – resonance with the Japanese culture

The exercise then transitioned into a visualisation process. This revolves around the wheel, which incorporates the seasons as four symbolic phases: ; North/Winter, East/Spring, South/Summer, and West/Autumn. As the participants closed their eyes and visualised the transformative energy of each season, they reflected on the workshop’s guiding question “How might we create a society that is positive for people, nature, and living things?”— each season offering a different lens through which to explore this idea. In Spring, they were encouraged to focus on beginnings and potential, while in Autumn, they reflected on achievement and gratitude.

Using the wheel encourages the participants to bring in a larger perspective – the idea of wholeness and the planet that they collectively inhabit. This enhances the group’s connectedness and alignment as they work to sketch out their collective aspiration.

Interestingly, it feels natural to Japanese people to incorporate such an approach, especially the idea of changing seasons. In Japan, seasonal changes are not only observed in nature but are celebrated and incorporated into everyday life through festivals, foods, and rituals. Each season has a set of customs and meanings, allowing collective awareness and celebration of nature’s cyclical journey. This cultural resonance with nature is reflected in the national indigenous religion Shinto, which is an integral part of the Japanese way of life. The fundamental idea is not to try to dominate nature, but to respect nature and avoid offending it. Nature embraces human beings and coexists with them. This is fundamentally different from some Western perspectives that historically view nature as a resource to control and utilise. However, as the pace of modern life accelerates and daily routines become increasingly distanced from nature, these traditions risk losing their significance.

While DesignWISE’s tool is inspired by the indigenous wisdom of North America, there is a resonance to the Japanese indigenous wisdom. By contemplating their goals in relation to nature’s cyclical patterns, DesignWISE can offer Japanese participants a pathway to reconnect with traditional practices and perspectives that emphasise coexistence with nature. This process invites them to bring forward a vision that aligns both with their cultural heritage and with the collective ambition of designing a society that is positive for people, nature, and living things. In this sense, DesignWISE acts as both a bridge to ancestral wisdom and a framework to envisioning a sustainable future.

The council method for decision making

The way we normally come to agreement and decide on a shared focus or action is through discussion and negotiation. Individually, we are expected to have an opinion when entering the decision space and to argue why our opinion should be the one the group collectively adopts. The problem is that such a decision space becomes a power play, favouring those with the strongest ability to stick to their opinion or those with the most powerful position within the group. This often leaves more introverted or less powerful people’s perspectives and points of view undermined or even unheard. Furthermore, it seldom provides the space, time, or opportunity to explore and be curious about one’s own perspective regarding the matter being decided upon.

In DesignWISE, we mitigate these flawed ways of decision-making and ensure that we engage the collective intelligence by using counselling.

When conducting a counsel in the DesignWISE wheel, we move through the eight or four phases of the wheel, having participants write down what they think is most important to consider for each perspective/phase of the question or challenge at the center. For each perspective, each participant writes their input on a card and places it on the floor at the edge of the respective corner of the wheel. After we have gone through every perspective/phase, we go through the wheel again, asking participants to read all the cards, and then move the ones they find most important toward the center. The closer a card is moved toward the center, the more people in the group think it is important. It’s crucial to do this one perspective/phase at a time, allowing everyone to see which cards are being moved. Notice that all of this is done in silence—no discussions or comments. The idea is that everyone is free to evaluate the group’s shared inputs and, by observing each other’s evaluations, has the opportunity to change their mind without losing face.

Once we have gone through all perspectives/phases, it should be clear which cards are deemed more important than others throughout the process. At this point, there is an opportunity to discuss what makes sense to move forward with and what to set aside for now. The key difference here is that all inputs remain on the floor, and while they originate from individuals, they are now owned by the group as a collective opinion and intelligence. This makes it easier to argue for what is best for the group rather than what is best for you individually.

The council method is especially impactful for groups with explicit power dynamics or hierarchies, such as those common in Japanese organisations. Another key here is that all cards are anonymous, meaning the source of the ideas is irrelevant. This, in addition to the silence and the rule that each individual has an equal vote, makes the council process a more democratic decision making process. It can break down the traditional power dynamics and make space for the perspectives and opinions of those in lower ranks.

Breaking down hierarchies

While DesignWISE was developed in Scandinavia—a region known for flatter organizational structures—the workshop with the Japanese group has revealed exciting potential in other global contexts, such as Japanese organisations and companies. By breaking down traditional hierarchies, the circle can empower participants to view themselves as co-creators, with the shared goal at the center of their collective efforts. In Japanese organisational contexts, this egalitarian setting may allow for an experience that diverges from the conventional dynamics of their everyday workplaces, opening up a space for new synergy and ideas.

Opportunities for new approaches to design in a global perspective

The DesignWISE methodology highlights the potential for global design approaches that integrate diverse cultural perspectives, emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability, and collective creativity. As demonstrated in the workshop with Japanese participants, bridging Eastern and Western traditions fosters a transformative environment for innovation. The fusion of Scandinavian egalitarian practices and Japanese reverence for nature underscores the importance of blending methodologies to transcend cultural boundaries.

Global design practices must embrace such collaborative frameworks to address the complex challenges of our interconnected world. By integrating indigenous wisdom, such as the cyclical nature of the seasons, with democratic decision-making processes, DesignWISE offers a path to reimagine how we design for the future. This holistic approach encourages designers to reflect on their aspirations, align with sustainable goals, and prioritize the well-being of people, nature, and all living things.

Incorporating tools like the council method and the seasonal wheel into cross-cultural contexts illustrates how innovative design practices can dismantle traditional hierarchies, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster equality. By creating spaces that encourage shared responsibility and mutual respect, global design methodologies can inspire new ways of thinking, collaborating, and innovating—ultimately shaping a more inclusive and harmonious future for humanity and the planet.