Imaginary Futures for Healing

This article examines the critical role of women-centered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in adopting social and speculative design approaches to enhance the well-being of both their employees and target groups. While female advocacy organizations have long championed gender equity, their strategies often mirror conventional models, potentially limiting their capacity for transformative change. Drawing on the frameworks of social design that prioritize human-centered, participatory approaches, and speculative design, which explores alternative futures to challenge the status quo, this experimental research examines how these design methodologies can offer powerful tools for NGOs to innovate their practices and create more inclusive, equitable work environments. The study posits that these approaches foster more positive futuring within the organizations, as well as through case work with the target group. By integrating speculative design, NGOs can envision imagery and narratives that address both client needs and systemic inequities affecting their employees, such as burnout, while also developing more resilient strategies to support their target groups. Moreover, social design empowers NGOs to co-create modes of operation with different stakeholders from various sectors, as well as other organizations with a similar focus, promoting a culture of shared responsibility and mutual care. This article also highlights the potential positive feedback loop, where improved employee well-being translates to more effective advocacy, benefiting the target groups.