DesignWISE

A conceptual framework and practical guide to a new, planet-centered approach to design. 

DesignWISE challenges the linear logic that has long shaped design practice. Too often, we move from brief to solution without pausing to understand the wider consequences of our choices or the systemic relations they affect. In doing so, we overlook opportunities for deeper, regenerative change.

This book introduces DesignWISE as a 360-degree alternative―a circular decision-making tool grounded in design thinking, systemic leadership, and Indigenous wisdom traditions. Rather than progressing step by step, DesignWISE invites designers, leaders, and teams into a continuous cycle of reflection, evaluation, and renewal.

At the center of the method is a wheel: a structure inspired by the medicine wheel, encouraging holistic awareness, multiple perspectives, and a stronger connection between inner intention and outer impact. Each phase of the wheel opens a space for introspection, imagination, and responsibility, helping us understand how design decisions resonate across people, organizations, and the planet. DesignWISE ultimately argues that meaningful transformation begins with a shift in awareness―how we see, sense, and relate to the world. By cultivating presence, curiosity, and critical reflection, we can unlock new sources of insight and move beyond conventional approaches to design. 

Ida Engholm is professor of design history and theory at the Royal Danish Academy and author of several books, including the influential Design for the New World: From Human Design to Planet Design, also published by Intellect. 

Lotte Borg is an architect, design facilitator, and senior consultant at South Denmark Health Innovation. 

Brian Frandsen is a strategic designer, design facilitator, and external lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy. 

Christina Funder is a rhetorician and senior lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy. 

Henriette Melchiorsen is a designer and senior lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy.