Reassessing the Social – Understanding Transformation. Proceedings of the Social Design Network Conference 2025

Design has always been related to materialisation, which is the ultimate representation of human’s ability to “make.” In an era marked by human­induced climate change, it is imperative to rethink the ecological impact of design itself and to reflect on the role of design practices on the relational level instead of purely material one. The article presents ongoing research connected to data­related and participatory design practices for collecting and representing communities’ experiences in extreme climate emergencies affected territories. The aim of the research is to construct a Collective Archive of the Climate Emergency Memory (CACEM). First, the conceptual and theoretical background of the research are presented, starting from a literature review illustrating the connection between de­ sign and ecological perspectives derived from various disciplines. Then, it is presented how critical data practices and archival practices can have a role in preserving memory around climate emergencies and other complex problems. The article then introduces the framework and outputs of the experimental application related to the case of Emilia­Romagna, Italy re­ garding several alluvial events that happened between 2023 and 2024. The research project proposes collective activities with communities and tools for qualitative data collection based on the experiences of subjects affected by flood events. By inviting them to reflect individually and collectively on their relationship with emergencies, the project aims to construct a geoloca­ ted Archive of alternative narratives and to enable the development of so­ cio­political consciousness around climate risks. The article finally presents findings and elaborates on future research developments starting from an experimental activity aimed to test a first version of the Archive conducted in 2024.