Design with society: Why socially responsive design is good enough

This paper seeks to make the case for socially responsive design. It does this by offering a broad contexualisation of previous accounts of design, including those made in this special issue, and by proposing new and useful ways of understanding the need to address multiple actors and design agendas in the design process. The paper also reviews and identifies problems with some ideas about collaboration and agency in the context of social design and design-led social innovation. It suggests that equitable arrangements between stakeholders are essential to ensure the successful delivery of design for social change in the real world. It also argues that robust socially responsive design and innovation methodologies and engagement strategies are essential, and need to be mindfully applied by designers seeking to make effective and appropriate contributions to meeting societal goals in new, sustainable ways.