Design as a Climate Approach Investigation Tool

This chapter demonstrates the potential of design to address and investigate the complex socio-technical context of climate change. These possibilities are demonstrated by presenting a project using scenario-based design to question the current climate strategy in the Netherlands. The project starts from the notion of climate-related emotions, such as climate anxiety. Studies of this phenomenon and its negative impact on human mental health suggest a need for addressing climate change by collective action and governmental responsibility. Design methods offer a way to explore these possibilities in a participatory way. In the context of the Netherlands, we first investigate how Dutch residents position themselves toward climate change. Based upon gained insights, a scenario is designed, with which an exploratory study is performed to the effects of a governmental collective climate approach on people’s emotions and attitude toward climate change. The study exposes the importance and underlying complexity of triggering a feeling of collective action and governmental responsibility. Finally, we take a step back, to reflect on the value and wider applicability of this type of approach in a design and policy context.