Design Emergency

Hilary Cottam on Redesigning Work

Apr 23, 2025
In a thought-provoking discussion, Hilary Cottam, a pioneering social designer and activist, explores the reimagining of work for the 21st century. Drawing from her extensive research and new book, she addresses the disconnect between welfare and employment while emphasizing the need for work to provide meaning, community, and balance. Cottam urges a collective redesign of work, highlighting innovative examples from 'new industrialists' and advocating for a just transition that prioritizes inclusivity and sustainability in the workforce.
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INSIGHT

Redefining What Good Work Is

  • Work must provide basic financial security, meaning, and time to live a full life.
  • Good work helps form identity, community belonging, and allows time for care and play.
INSIGHT

Ecology As The Primary Driver

  • Ecology will drive immediate changes in work more than technology.
  • Achieving net zero requires changing the jobs of a large share of the workforce and planning transitions now.
ANECDOTE

Imagination Sessions On The Road

  • Hilary ran three-hour imagination sessions using visual prompts to ask what a good working life could be.
  • She recorded hundreds of these sessions, often travelling alone and staying with participants.
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