How to redesign a world shaped by prejudice

"Restorative justice is a social science practice that focuses less on punitive punishment and more on communal healing. So it is asking questions about who's been harmed, what their needs are, whose responsibility it is to meet those needs, and how can relationships and trust be built and repaired in order to move forward. It also believes that punitive measures actually perpetuate harm rather than resolve the issue at hand."

"The book is propelled by the idea of "restorative design," which I think we can say descends, or is evolved, from the idea of restorative justice. Restorative design is really this idea of: How do we survey whether or not the products, services, or artifacts we create cause harm to folks? And if they do, how, as designers, do we attempt to repair the harm that's been done and reestablish trust with the audiences that have been harmed?"

Restorative justice emphasizes communal healing over punitive punishment by identifying who was harmed, clarifying needs, assigning responsibility, and rebuilding relationships and trust. Punitive approaches are viewed as perpetuating harm rather than resolving underlying issues. Restorative design applies these principles to products, services, and artifacts by asking whether creations cause harm and, if so, how designers can repair damage and reestablish trust with affected audiences. Design practice must reconsider consequences, collaboration, and context, and should prioritize accountability and repair to transform communities and mitigate design's potential for harm.

Read at Fast Company