Over 1,000 participants from 81 countries. 177 speakers from 19 countries. 24 sessions and 16 hours of on-demand content. 1 Design for Planet mission.
Hosted by WDO Promotional Member the Design Council, the 34th World Design Congress took place in London (UK) from 9–11 September 2025. Nearly 50 years after the city last hosted the Congress in 1969, the three-day event gathered the international design community and thought leaders from business, research and education to explore the theme of Design for Planet.
A 2-day design conference at London’s Barbican Centre featured inspirational keynotes and discussions, intimate conversations, dynamic workshops and hands-on activations underscoring the critical importance of placing the planet at the heart of design practice. WDO’s 34th General Assembly took place at the Design Museum on the final day of programming.
From the WDO Welcome Gala to the General Assembly, browse our photo gallery to relive all the highlights from the World Design Congress in London.
Explore the Congress Companion to learn more about how the World Design Congress 2025 served as a catalyst for the Design for Planet movement.
A valued part of each World Design Congress is the public call for papers and posters. Following a double-blind review process, accepted papers were presented either as panel discussions at the Congress or included in the official proceedings, to be published later this year. Posters were exhibited at London’s Barbican Centre from 9-10 September 2025 and are available to download below.
Design is moving beyond sustainability toward approaches that restore and renew ecosystems. This sub-theme explored regenerative frameworks including systems thinking, circularity, and biomimicry.
Small-Scale, Big Impact: Regenerative and Sensory Potential for SMEs
Authors: Paulo Eduardo Tonin, Marinella Ferrara, Elton Moura Nickel
Institutions: Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Brazil)
Download PDF (529KB)
Imagining Regenerative Futures for Lough Neagh
Author: Jane Kyle
Institution: Development Trusts Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (4MB)
AXO-PHYT: Regeneration by Design
Author: Ana Garcia Schwebel
Institution: London Metropolitan University (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (3MB)
Branding Regenerative Bioculture: Converging Identities for Community
Authors: Maria del Mar Sanz Abbud PhD, Horacio Gómez Diaz, Jorge Benitez Luna, Norma Patricia Diaz Enriquez, Lorena Fuentes Lamas
Institution: Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico)
Download PDF (1MB)
Sentient Edges: Re-Inhabiting The Coastal Boundaries
Author: Eleni Mente
Institutions: Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (3MB)
Where Water Meets Dust: Regenerative Landscape Strategies for the Salton Sea
Authors: Julie Johnstone, Katie Haas, William Stratton, Hilary Mulford, Dongni Ma, Yani Pohl
Institution: Great Ecology (USA)
Download PDF (6MB)
Permaculture & the end of extractivism: Designing for regeneration
Authors: Andy Goldring, Dr Luke Gooding, Dr Tracy Simpson, Dr Rebecca Upton, Emily Boxall,
Institutions: Permaculture Association, Stockholm Environment Institute, Wrexham University, Royal College of Art (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (1MB)
From Living Systems to Clean Water: Polycultures for Decentralized Water Remediation
Authors: Rita Morais, Brenda Parker, Marcos Cruz
Institution: UCL (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (1MB)
Learning From the Sea: Scaling the Biomemetic Performance of Seashell Structures for Carbon Reduction in Gridshell Buildings
Authors: Des Fagan, Bernard Tomczyk, Andy Barnes, Camila Rock De Luigi
Institutions: Lancaster University, Grimshaw Architects (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (2MB)
The future of Digital: From Extractive to Regenerative Design
Author: Ruth Wright-Palmer
Institution: GLDN Studio (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (6MB)
Design plays a critical role in transitioning from linear economic models to circular systems that emphasize reuse, repair, and material longevity. This sub-theme examined how design innovation supports and prioritized this shift.
Kallpa bench
Author: Danilo Calvache
Institution: Universidad de Nariño (Colombia)
Download PDF (2MB)
Sustainable, by design: A framework for integrating the nine planetary boundaries into design thinking
Authors: Rhydian Lewis, Marie Smith, John Barrett, Alexandra Whyard, Dr Farai Carter, Rebecca Creer, Simon Wilson, Pritty Mathew, Katerina Mouliadou, Shak Gohir
Institutions: McMaster University (Canada), CPI (United Kingdom), Lancaster University (United Kingdom), Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom), Manufacturing Technology Centre (United Kingdom), University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom), SLN Sustainability Ltd (United Kingdom), Planetary Ninja (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (2MB)
Denimid: Extended Life for Fast Fashion
Authors: Brook Kennedy, Dr. Cordt Zollfrank, Alexander Helmbrecht, Avery Gendell
Institutions: Virginia Tech (USA), Technical University of Munich (Germany)
Download PDF (4MB)
Crafting Luxurious Futures With Urban Mined Crystal Waste
Author: Dr Sofie Boons
Institution: University of the West of England (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (4MB)
Shifting Lines & Circles: Contouring the innovation shaped by creative industries in response to the transformation plan for Wales
Authors: Andrew Walters, Dr Katie Beverley, Jo Ward, Dr Safia Najwa Suhaimi, Siena DeBartolo
Institutions: PDR, Cardiff Metropolitan University (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (7MB)
From Waste to Awareness: The Power of Information Design in Circular Education
Authors: Sonia Aguirre, Pablo Arana
Institution: Universidad de las Américas Puebla (Mexico)
Download PDF (197KB)
WTF! Women to the Front: A feminist design tool for circular transformation
Author: Cheri Flewell-Smith
Institution: Torrens University (Australia)
Download PDF (4MB)
HairCycle
Authors: Sanne Visser, Tam Preston, Dr. Rosie Hornbuckle
Institution: University of the Arts London (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (22MB)
Waste, a Treasure: Designing Industrial Upcycling
Author: Yasemin Köse
Institution: ROKA Circular by Design (Turkey)
Download PDF (1MB)
From climate adaptation to urban resilience, this sub- theme considered how design informs and is informed by policy frameworks shaping environmental futures.
Community Resource Green Maps
Author: Kelly Salchow MacArthur
Institution: Michigan State University (USA)
Download PDF (6MB)
Zero-emission kitchens in the Global South: Implementing behaviour change in national clean cooking strategies
Author: Dr Aine Petrulaityte
Institution: Loughborough University (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (4MB)
A Compass Towards a Thriving and Resilient Oxfordshire
Author: Duncan Brown
Institution: Electronic Dream Plant (United Kingdom)
Download PDF (1MB)
The Satoyama Becoming a Villager: Designing AI-based Collaborative More-Than-Human Governance and Social Systems in Rural Japan
Author: Juliette Scholler-Iida
Institution: NPO ETIC., A0 Group (Japan)
Download PDF (1MB)
The Value Shift: Reframing Innovation through Ambition and Impact
Author: Vilde Ulset, Tone Bergan, Marianne Lind
Institution: Design and Architecture Norway (Norway)
Download PDF (379KB)
Form Follows Function: Polymerization as a Policymaking Prototype
Authors: Michaela Mei Quiñones, Tarhata Mariano
Institution: Medium PH (Philippines)
Download PDF (37MB)
Discover the full story behind an unforgettable programme in the World Design Congress 2025 Impact Report. From the numbers to the venue and beyond, explore how the Design Council and WDO brought this event to life and the lasting impact it created.
Designing for Planet, Designing for Life: A Call to Action from the World Design Congress 2025
Pages 22-26 | October 2025
Designing for Planet: 2025 World Design Congress
7 October 2025
World Design Congress Reflection
18 September 2025
Six key messages from the World Design Congress
16 September 2025
On 10 September 2024, the Design Council and WDO held a webinar to share more on the Congress theme of Design for Planet and how WDO Members and designers internationally can get involved.
