In this talk, David will look at how design can respond to the pressing challenges of today. He will explore the issue that it is not so much what we design, as how we design— starting with understanding our mindset and how that affects the way we design. Design, as we often know it, is essentially a European construct. It is intrinsically connected to the colonial project—it is a product of the mindset that seeks to rule and control the world. But it is definitely not the only model—there are other ways of designing found in the many indigenous cultures around the world. These are based on a very different mindset, one that is community-based—one that grows from the bottom up, rather than being imposed from the top down. One that respects nature as our only support system. David will discuss what he has learnt as a maker, sailor, and traveler, and show how it has informed his own design practice.