An exhibition creating space for dialogue

We designed and built a stand inviting visitors to share perspectives, question established ideas about design and decolonization, and explore the value of ancestral traditions in climate resilience. The exhibition brought together reflections on the colonial roots of design and Indigenous knowledge, including insights from Samia traditions documented through the Cultural Knowledge Revival Program. By making space for these perspectives within a design festival, we encouraged visitors to reconsider whose knowledge is valued and how design might contribute to climate justice.

Learning from designers’ perspectives

We invited designers participating in Nairobi Design Week to reflect on what decolonizing design means to them. Their ideas were shared on the exhibition wall and through our social media channels, creating a collective space for questioning established practices and imagining alternatives. These reflections helped broaden the conversation beyond individual projects, encouraging designers to consider their roles and responsibilities in shaping more just and regenerative futures.

A panel connecting design, ancestry and climate justice

We brought Kenyan and pan-African designers, Kenge Content Hive and Mzee Manga, an elder from the Samia community, together for a panel discussion. The conversation explored what colonization and modernity have erased, and how we might collectively recover ways of living in greater balance with our ecosystems and ancestors. By bringing different generations and perspectives together, the panel highlighted the importance of ancestral knowledge in reimagining design practices and responding to the climate crisis.