Introduction

The exhaustion of natural resources, climatic disasters and volume of waste we are currently facing, require repair to be at the forefront of design as a first responder. Product longevity and durability, despite being acknowledged as properties to establish in design practice, have not been widely accepted as design standards. At the same time, decolonial, place-based repair approaches led by communities and grassroots initiatives, provide valuable insights into maintenance and restoration. The above conditions invite a profound exploration of how design could become a leading agent of repair; they also evoke an inquiry of existing repair practices grounded in lived experience that could change design theory and practice. This book offers clarity regarding the existing and potential directions of repair, having at their epicentre design as a principal force. Its chapters advance approaches opening design to a diversity of practices, positions and collaborations that are explored through four themes: Design/Repair and Socio-material Conditions; Grassroots Design/Repair Activism; Design/Repair: Decolonial approaches; and Community-led and Placed-based Design/Repair. A roundtable discussion by the editors concludes the book.