Carra Santos
Designer, Researcher & Educator
I bring together design, contextual research and creative learning to deepen understanding of people, places and systems, helping people explore unfamiliar ideas, question assumptions and uncover connections they might otherwise overlook before moving forward.
My practice spans public health, climate action, enterprise and place, including projects with the World Health Organization, Design Council University of Bath, local authorities, design practices and community-led initiatives. Across this work, I explore how research and creative approaches can bring different perspectives into conversation, reveal connections between social, environmental and economic challenges, and inform more joined-up responses.
Creative learning programmes & environments
Designing participatory and interdisciplinary experiences that help people engage with unfamiliar ideas, experiment with new approaches and develop shared understanding.
Discovery & research in practice
Using contextual research, design thinking and different perspectives to help teams explore new territory, sense-check their assumptions, and identify what needs further exploration.
Independent research & frameworks
Developing independent research, writing and creative frameworks that explore how we understand people and places, navigate different perspectives and connect social, environmental and economic priorities.
If you're developing a course, research project or interdisciplinary initiative and think my experience could contribute, I'd welcome a conversation.
Doughnut Economics
University of Bath / Bath & North East Somerset Council
Programme design & facilitation
2023-2025
Bringing a new economic framework into local conversation
ChallengeDoughnut Economics offers a framework for considering how people can meet their needs within the limits of the living planet. Applying its principles at city level requires people from different sectors and backgrounds to explore what they mean in a local context.At events across the UK, I noticed that enthusiastic participants were sometimes experiencing frustration. They were encountering challenging and unfamiliar ideas, while also navigating differences in opinions, interests and priorities with people they hadn't met before. Without time to develop relationships and work through these differences, attempts to apply the framework were leading to frustration rather than cohesion.I recognised that the challenge was not simply to introduce a new economic model and its materials, but to create opportunities for people to develop their understanding of the framework and one another at the same time.ApproachI designed and facilitated a programme of learning and engagement, combining preparatory learning, interdisciplinary dialogue, public events and place-based exploration.The programme included a nine-week online read-along, 24 interactive workshops, two public lectures, an online knowledge-sharing group, an urban photo walk and a crowdsourced repository of inspiring interventions. I also supported Bath & North East Somerset Council's preparation for the public launch of its regional Economic Development Strategy through participatory research, analysis and post-event reporting.The activities offered different ways to encounter the framework, exchange perspectives and connect its principles with local circumstances in informal settings. The urban photo walk encouraged participants to 'explore our common ground on our common ground', using walking as a way to meet people gently, and bringing architecture, placemaking and design into the economic discussion.Outcomes
Stronger connections across perspectives: Participants had opportunities to develop relationships and explore how different professional interests and experiences related to the framework.
A more joined-up understanding of local priorities: Discussions connected issues such as affordability, inequality, housing, transport and environmental sustainability, moving beyond treating them as separate or competing concerns.
An observable shift in one workshop: When groups were asked to choose whether a social or environmental lens should guide their approach to local challenges, every group selected social. This contrasted with the more divisive positions expressed earlier in the programme.
Practical resources for continued exploration: The crowdsourced repository brought together examples of interventions linking social, environmental and economic principles, while the online group extended the exchange of ideas beyond individual events.
Support for regional strategy development: My research, analysis and reporting contributed to Bath & North East Somerset Council's preparation for the launch of its regional Economic Development Strategy.
ReflectionThe programme highlighted the value of informal, preparatory spaces where people can develop both their understanding of one another and an unfamiliar topic before engaging in more complex discussions.It reinforced a principle that runs through my practice: before deciding how to act, people need opportunities to understand context, encounter different perspectives and develop relationships. These conditions don't eliminate disagreement, but they can help people engage with it more constructively and recognise connections that might otherwise be missed.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Design, differently
Design Council programme
Specialist Expert: Coaching, co-facilitation & systems thinking
2023
Supporting place-based innovation through deeper discovery
ChallengeDesign Council's Design, differently programme supported six UK place-based climate action initiatives, spanning youth-led climate communication, urban regeneration, community growing and resource sharing.Over six months, I worked with participating teams through 13 coaching sessions, 10 workshops and nine site visits. Across the projects, I identified a recurring challenge: teams were keen to move towards ideas and prototypes before fully exploring the problem, the people affected and the assumptions shaping their approach.The opportunity was to help teams revisit their initial framing, investigate their local contexts and establish what they needed to understand before deciding how to proceed.ApproachI coached teams through the design thinking process, helping them develop and implement research plans to explore their challenges more fully. The work was tailored to each initiative and its context.This included facilitating futures-thinking and values-based dialogue between young people and local councillors; supporting a grassroots urban regeneration group to refine its strategy and communicate its potential to impact investors; and helping a volunteer-led urban growing initiative explore a transition from grant funding towards a self-sustaining social enterprise aligned with local policy.Alongside this project-level support, I synthesised learning across the programme. I authored six midpoint reports and six final reports, sharing findings with individual teams and contributing insights to the programme's wider development.I also wrote and presented a futures-thinking script for Design, differently with Communities and co-facilitated a related workshop at Design Council's Design for Planet event.Outcomes
Research informed teams' next steps: Teams revisited their initial assumptions and explored their local circumstances before committing further to particular ideas or approaches.
New directions became possible: In some cases, the research prompted teams to reconsider their original direction of travel, opening up alternatives that had not been apparent at the outset.
Project-level learning informed the wider programme: Twelve reports captured findings from the six initiatives at midpoint and completion, making insights available to the participating teams and programme colleagues.
Futures thinking reached wider audiences: The script and Design for Planet workshop extended this approach beyond the individual initiatives.
ReflectionThe programme reinforced the importance of the discovery phase of design thinking. Returning to discovery can help teams question assumptions, identify overlooked considerations and recognise alternatives, and identify additional learning and research needs. Once a team has invested in a particular solution, however, it can become harder to reopen the question.My contribution combined hands-on coaching with programme-level research and synthesis. It supported teams not simply to progress their ideas, but to develop a stronger understanding of their challenges and make more considered decisions about what to do next.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss my work or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Farm Kitchen
Media 10 / 100% Design, London Design Festival
Creative Direction, Concept Development, Production & Installation
2013
Rethinking the future kitchen
The briefAs urban populations grow, finding space to produce food within cities and homes becomes increasingly important. Yet visions of the future kitchen are often shaped by technology, with clinical environments dominated by white surfaces and stainless steel.
For Farm Kitchen, I explored a different possibility: a future in which small-scale food production could enrich everyday life, connecting nature, planting, cooking, social space and sensory experience.The creative conceptI developed the concept for a 272m² immersive design installation and pop-up restaurant, bringing together interior design, micro-agriculture, contemporary products and experimental approaches to growing food.Rather than presenting food-growing technology in isolation, I wanted to show how it could become part of a more integrated domestic environment - one where growing, preparing and sharing food were connected.Realising the experienceMy role extended across concept development, curation, team assembly, communications and delivery. I coordinated the installation with Media 10's operations team and took part in the physical build, bringing contributions from different fields together in a coherent spatial experience.Vertical planting, hydroponics and automated irrigation sat alongside reclaimed and natural materials, furniture, cooking and social space. I curated products and emerging innovations from contributors including Bulbo, the University of Bath, Greenworks and Modern Sprout, integrating their work into the wider interior.I structured the visitor journey around three stages: Cultivate, Convert, Enjoy. This sequence connected growing food with its preparation and consumption, allowing visitors to experience the relationship between these activities rather than encounter them as separate ideas.Reception and impactFarm Kitchen attracted sponsorship from leading German design brands Gaggenau and Dornbracht, both of which showcased their latest innovations within the installation. It also received international press coverage, with ICON magazine naming it one of the three highlights of 100% Design.This project demonstrated how a designed environment can bring ideas about the future into tangible, shared experience. The installation translated an alternative vision of domestic life into a physical environment. By bringing food production, technology, nature and social activity together, it offered visitors an accessible way to imagine how these elements might coexist in the near-future home.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Maker Carousel
Media 10 / 100% Design, London Design Festival
Creative Direction, Concept Development, Production & Installation
2014
Making space for experimentation and discovery
The briefMy brief for a Future of Making feature installation at 100% Design was to create a makerspace, with an initial focus on 3D printing as a representation of the future of localised making.I saw an opportunity to explore something broader: a space that celebrated the joy of making, the freedom to experiment and the unexpected discoveries that happen when people try things out together.The creative conceptI developed the concept for Maker Carousel, an 81m² immersive installation bringing traditional craft into conversation with digital fabrication and emerging technologies, while making creative participation accessible to people across the design industry.Inspired by the movement and energy of a carousel, the concept brought different disciplines and techniques into a shared environment. Rather than simply displaying emerging technologies, it invited visitors to experiment, exchange ideas and discover what might happen when different approaches to making meet.Realising the experienceThe circular layout connected a series of workbenches around a central column, with shared space for inspiration, talks and discussion. Interwoven strands overhead expressed the relationships between disciplines, techniques and influences.I structured the visitor experience around three stages: Think, Make, Reveal, reflecting the cyclical nature of creative practice. Each workbench explored a different aspect of making, combining found objects, experimental products and prototypes with opportunities to try different methods and materials.Activities ranged from paper prototyping, model-making and block printing to 3D printing and smart technology. Talks and workshops brought in practitioners and organisations working across design, fabrication and creative technology, including the British Council's Maker Library Network, Opendesk, Hirsch & Mann and BeatWoven.My contribution brought together the concept, spatial experience, activities and external collaborators to create a coherent environment in which visitors could participate rather than simply observe.Reception and impactThe project demonstrated how a designed environment can bring usually-disconnected people together through shared activity. Maker Carousel became a lively meeting place where architects, designers, students, makers and suppliers connected through the shared experience of making. Around the workbenches, people exchanged materials, shared techniques and helped one another, creating opportunities for interaction beyond their usual professional roles. The activities also prompted spontaneous collaboration, including impromptu competitions between visiting university students.The installation was voted the most popular feature at 100% Design, an event attended by more than 25,000 industry professionals.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
World Health Organization
Tobacco-Free Initiative
Specialist consultancy project, tobacco control & health communication
2025
Looking beyond health to explore new approaches to tobacco control
ChallengeGraphic health warnings on cigarette packaging communicate the serious consequences of smoking. However, reports of audience desensitisation prompted WHO programme leaders to explore opportunities for innovation in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).Health consequences are central to tobacco control, but people's motivations extend beyond health. I explored whether a deeper understanding of human values could reveal alternative ways to communicate the harms of tobacco use and the benefits of cessation.ApproachExamining the values expressed in existing warningsUsing the WHO Pictorial Health Warnings Database, I analysed 595 graphic health warnings from more than 37 countries through the lens of Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values.I examined the values expressed through warning captions, considering which motivations they engaged with and which remained largely unexplored. Health consequences dominated, but different health impacts were represented unevenly. Other potential motivations, including financial and environmental concerns, were rarely or entirely absent from the warnings examined.The findings raised questions about the range of perspectives available to public health communicators and whether other values could offer additional ways to engage people with the reasons to stop smoking.Developing alternative narrativesDrawing on my design background, I considered these findings alongside the values and aspirations historically used in tobacco-industry marketing. Cigarette advertising has associated smoking with freedom, confidence, rebellion and belonging, linking a harmful product to identities and ways of life people might aspire to.This contrast led me to explore how cessation messages might move beyond narratives centred primarily on loss, such as illness and death, to connect with motivations people actively pursue. I developed alternative public health narratives and cigarette-pack mock-ups to illustrate how messages might engage with a wider range of human values.One example explored the financial cost of smoking in a UK context. In a research questionnaire and follow-up conversation, one smoker connected his 20-a-day habit with his aspiration to save for a house deposit - a relationship he had not previously made. While a single response cannot establish wider effectiveness, it illustrated how a message framed around a personal goal could prompt a different kind of reflection.Outcomes
A systematic analysis of existing warnings: The research identified which human values were expressed across 595 warnings and highlighted motivations that received comparatively little attention.
Alternative communication narratives: I developed values-informed narratives and cigarette-pack mock-ups to illustrate how cessation messages could engage with a broader range of human motivations.
Contribution to WHO programme discussions: I presented the analysis and narrative examples to WHO programme leaders, contributing to internal discussions involving communications, legal and practitioner perspectives.
Contribution to global guidance: Key findings were included in the 10th WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic (2025), disseminated to health ministries and policymakers across WHO's 194 Member States.
The research also related to policy innovation guidance within WHO FCTC Articles 11 and 12, addressing tobacco product packaging and labelling, and education, communication, training and public awareness.ReflectionThe project demonstrated the value of bringing an interdisciplinary lens to a specialist field.The work brought human values theory, design history and communication research into a practical public health challenge. It explored how values-informed narratives might complement established health warnings by connecting with motivations beyond the obvious, providing a framework and examples for further consideration in tobacco-control communication.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Essex County Council / Design Council
Place-based climate action
Design & systems thinking coaching | Design research
2023
The World We Will Create: Connecting young people's aspirations with climate action
ChallengeAs part of its regional net-zero strategy, Essex County Council and the Essex Climate Action Commission were developing a student-led Climate Ambassador Network to bring climate action into schools and wider communities.The design thinking process revealed a complex landscape of stakeholders, including students, teachers, headteachers, parents and communities, with different levels of knowledge, interest and motivation around climate change. These differences mattered in a context shaped by the cost-of-living crisis, concerns about climate anxiety, disconnected efforts and the responsibility placed on young people.The challenge was to develop an initiative that could be genuinely student-led and work across the region, without assuming that young people shared the same priorities or would respond to conventional climate messaging.I coached the council team through the design thinking process to reconsider its starting point. Rather than beginning with the actions young people should take, we explored how their values, interests and aspirations might offer more inclusive ways into climate engagement.ApproachImagining a future worth working towardsWorking with my Design Council colleague, I co-designed and facilitated The World We Will Create, a visioning workshop with young people aged 15–18 and their teachers.Drawing on design thinking, futures thinking and systems thinking, the session invited participants to imagine a climate-positive Essex in 2033, looking beyond today's conflicts and constraints to consider what a thriving future might look and feel like.The session opened with a reading from The Future We Choose by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, followed by a short futures narrative to stimulate imagination. Participants then explored three interconnected themes - Our Living World, Our Cities & Communities, and Our Working Life - through creative exercises and group discussion.Identifying themes and prioritiesThe workshop generated ideas spanning environmental, social and economic life, including growing and green spaces, technology and AI for good, circular communities, caring relationships, and future work and learning environments.I synthesised the contributions into ten youth-led themes. A follow-up questionnaire invited participants to select their five priorities, giving the council a clearer basis for deciding which themes to explore further.Outcomes
Ten youth-led themes: The research captured a range of aspirations for Essex's future, extending beyond conventional climate messaging to include community, relationships, technology, work and wellbeing.
Five priorities for further exploration: Participants' questionnaire responses helped the council identify which themes to take forward.
A basis for future engagement: The findings gave Essex County Council and the emerging Climate Ambassador Network material to explore how climate action could connect with young people's own interests and concerns.
A repeatable research approach: The workshop provided a practical method that teachers and students could use to gather further insights through school and community networks, extending the potential reach of the research beyond the initial group.
ReflectionThe project demonstrated the value of giving people the opportunity to express their own ideas rather than prescribing solutions. It explored a different starting point for climate engagement: understanding the futures young people want to create, then identifying where climate action might connect with those ambitions.By bringing futures thinking into participatory research, the work created opportunities to explore connections between environmental concerns and the social and economic dimensions of everyday life.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Lumsden Design
Design practice & sustainability
Contextual sustainability education & strategic research recommendations
2023
Connecting sustainability with design practice
ChallengeLumsden Design is an international museum, heritage and destination retail design practice working in contexts shaped by local identity, cultural meaning and social value.As expectations around sustainability evolved, the practice wanted to connect it more closely with its creative work. However, the team's understanding had largely been shaped by a narrow environmental framing, particularly the use or non-use of materials.I saw an opportunity to explore what a broader understanding of sustainability might reveal about the practice's existing strengths and possibilities for future design work.ApproachExpanding the team's understandingI designed and facilitated Declutter the Landscape, an interactive workshop combining an introduction to sustainable development with a collaborative exercise grounded in the team's own understanding and experience.Drawing on the UN definition of sustainable development, I developed a presentation to establish a shared foundation. Before the session, I invited team members to submit words they associated with sustainability. I transformed their responses into a word cloud and a set of printed word cards, using the team's own language as the starting point for exploration.Working collaboratively, participants grouped related concepts, examined connections and considered what was represented, what was missing and what might warrant further attention. This made the team's collective understanding visible and created an opportunity to question existing assumptions.Connecting wider principles to design practiceTo make these principles tangible, I introduced Totomoxtle, a material developed by designer Fernando Laposse using discarded maize husks. The example illustrated how a product for luxury interiors could connect several dimensions of sustainability: making use of an overlooked material, drawing on traditional knowledge, supporting local livelihoods and creating economic opportunities.It brought the wider concept into the context of Lumsden's work, showing how material choices could be considered alongside the social relationships, cultural knowledge and economic conditions involved in their production.Following the workshop, I synthesised the discussion into a written summary and recommendations organised around three areas: further learning, reviewing existing projects, and researching materials, local suppliers, social enterprises and circular approaches relevant to the practice.Outcomes
A broader framework for discussion: The workshop introduced social and economic dimensions of sustainable development alongside environmental considerations, giving the team a basis for exploring sustainability in relation to its own practice.
A visible picture of existing knowledge: The collaborative sorting exercise helped surface shared ideas, connections and areas for further exploration.
Practical recommendations: The written summary translated the workshop into potential next steps across learning, project review and further research.
A positive response from the studio's co-founder: Simon Clark reflected on the value of the work: “I wish we'd done it sooner. It blew away some myths and helped me realise there is so much more to sustainability than the use or non-use of materials.”
ReflectionThe project demonstrated the value of contextual sustainability education, in this case, helping a creative practice reinforce its pre-existing connections and recognise its future potential.By starting with the team's own knowledge, making its collective understanding visible and introducing relevant design examples, I connected wider sustainable development principles with questions arising from the practice's work. The recommendations offered a practical basis for further exploration in their particular context.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
London Borough of Hounslow / Design Council
Place-based climate action
Design & systems thinking coaching | Design research
2023
Understanding what enables community climate action
ChallengeHounslow's Net Zero team wanted to strengthen community cohesion and create the conditions for local climate action in an area facing significant social and economic challenges.An early proposal was to design and install a parklet: a small, sociable pocket of green space intended to bring people together. But how could the team ensure its efforts and resources addressed the realities of residents' everyday lives, rather than simply introducing another intervention?The challenge became understanding what enabled or prevented people from participating in community life, and what these conditions meant for the development of climate action.ApproachLooking at the place before the interventionI introduced a ward walk to explore the neighbourhood beyond the initial proposal. Walking through the area together gave the team an opportunity to observe its physical environment, local amenities and everyday conditions, and to consider what these revealed about the possibilities for community participation.We encountered valuable community assets, including well-used community centres, a library, a park and spaces for play. We also observed signs of inequality, concerns about safety, difficult road crossings and working patterns that could limit opportunities for residents to connect.These observations raised questions about why some existing facilities and investments were not being used as intended, and what conditions needed to be in place for community participation to flourish.Connecting local observations with wider prioritiesI used my Bridge to Belonging framework to structure a cross-departmental workshop, helping council representatives consider neighbourhood needs from the ground up and explore connections between social, environmental and economic priorities.The framework provided a way to organise observations, examine relationships between local priorities, and identify barriers, possibilities and questions for further investigation.The process focused attention on Redwood Estate, where overlapping challenges around housing, financial security, access to facilities and opportunities for participation appeared particularly acute.The council team then undertook further design research to understand residents' everyday experiences in greater depth. This identified concerns about safety and a lack of trust in the Council as significant barriers to using existing public spaces and facilities.Outcomes
A broader understanding of local conditions: The ward walk and workshop brought community assets, barriers to participation and connections between local priorities into focus.
A shift in the direction of research: Attention moved beyond the initial parklet proposal towards understanding residents' experiences and what might enable greater participation.
A new brief for further exploration: The council's subsequent research informed a brief focused on exploring a community hub and a more reassuring Council presence on Redwood Estate.
A basis for cross-departmental collaboration: The emerging approach identified the need to explore resources across council departments and external partners, and investigate practical local needs in greater depth.
ReflectionThe project demonstrated the value of understanding a place before committing to an intervention. By combining place-based observation with a framework for connecting local priorities, I helped the team move beyond its initial proposal and establish a more grounded direction for further research.It also highlighted a wider connection between climate ambitions and everyday needs: creating the conditions for community-led climate action may begin not with a dedicated climate intervention, but with understanding what matters to residents and what would make participation possible.
Further conversation
If you'd like to discuss this project in more depth or explore ideas together, please get in touch.
Civic Sketchbook
Independent Creative Research
Walking, Photography, Writing & Creative Ethnography
Ongoing project

Place-noticing through walking, writing and creative ethnography
Before deciding what a place needs, it's important to understand what's already there: the people, stories, routines and relationships that shape everyday life and how change happens.Civic Sketchbook is my creative research practice for exploring places through walking, photography, observation, reading and writing. By slowing down and paying attention to the details of everyday life, I explore the stories and relationships that reveal a richer understanding of a place and the possibilities it holds.Each exploration is an opportunity to develop my ability to notice more. Through photographs, reflections and stories, I invite others to see familiar places differently, question what they might otherwise overlook, and become more curious about the meanings we make and the worlds we shape.
Explore Civic Sketchbook
Discover photographs, reflections and stories exploring places through walking, observation and creative research.
Pre-Collaborative City
Independent Research & Writing
Field Guide, Research & Learning Resources
Ongoing project

Exploring the conditions for constructive collaboration
Bringing people together doesn't automatically lead to better outcomes. Differences in knowledge, assumptions, values and priorities can quickly shut down conversations, particularly when people have little opportunity to understand one another or the context they're working in.Pre-Collaborative City explores what needs to happen before people can work constructively across different perspectives. Drawing on research, design and learning, it examines how we can better understand context, question assumptions and develop the awareness needed to engage with viewpoints unlike our own.Through writing, I'm exploring connections between professional experience, research and ideas about what makes collaboration possible. I'm developing a practical field guide that brings together ideas, examples and exercises to help people approach shared challenges with greater understanding and establish a stronger basis for collaborative responses.
Read Pre-Collaborative City
Follow the field guide as it develops, with new sections published as they're ready.
Bridge to Belonging
Independent Research & Framework Development
Interdisciplinary Research, Place-Based Analysis & Sustainable Urban Development
2021 - present
Connecting neighbourhood needs with wider ambitions
Bridge to Belonging is an interdisciplinary research framework I developed during my MSc in Sustainable Development in Practice at the University of the West of England. It brings together quantitative and qualitative evidence with wider sustainable development priorities to build a fuller picture of a neighbourhood's social, environmental and economic needs, and identify opportunities for more joined-up responses at a hyperlocal level.Developing the frameworkI first developed Bridge to Belonging through research into a brownfield site in Redcliffe, Bristol. The study established six guiding principles for sustainable development in priority order, exploring how evidence about a particular place could inform decisions by connecting local conditions with wider social, environmental and economic priorities.“An outstanding report, written and presented to an exceptionally high standard.”
— Professor Danielle Sinnett, Director, Centre for Sustainable Planning & Environments, University of the West of EnglandApplying the framework in practiceI later adapted the approach into a workshop and supporting resources for Design Council's work with the London Borough of Hounslow. Discovery research had revealed local social and economic inequalities that were difficult to connect with the team's net-zero ambitions.The framework helped bring these concerns into a shared frame of reference, supporting a more interconnected understanding of local priorities. The team leader subsequently reported that the team continued to think about its work in these terms beyond the project.Why it mattersBridge to Belonging offers a way to connect wider ambitions for a just transition with the realities of the places they are intended to serve. It explores how place-specific evidence can help people recognise relationships between priorities that are often considered separately, and inform responses grounded in local circumstances.
Discuss this approach
If you'd like to discuss the framework, the Redcliffe case study, its application in Hounslow or potential future uses, please get in touch.
Communicating Degrowth
Independent Research & MSc Dissertation (Distinction)
Degrowth, Academic & Business Discourse, Human Values
2021
Finding a starting point for conversations about degrowth
How might degrowth advocates have constructive conversations with UK business leaders when the word 'degrowth' itself meets resistance?To explore this question, I set aside the term and focused on its underlying principles, investigating three questions:
What business practices align with degrowth goals?
How are these practices represented in UK industry-facing publications?
What motivates UK business leaders to engage in them?
Research approachMy MSc dissertation combined a review of academic literature with qualitative language analysis. I first identified 25 business practices aligned with degrowth goals, then analysed 116 articles from the Financial Times and Wired. I selected these publications through a systematic process designed to identify influential industry-facing sources within the service-dominated UK economy.Using inductive grounded theory, iterative coding and Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, I examined how degrowth-aligned practices were represented and what the language suggested about the values and motivations associated with them.What the research revealedAs the analysis developed, the focus shifted from sustainability discourse to the future of work.Degrowth-aligned business practices appeared more prominently in future-of-work discourse than in material explicitly framed around sustainability, where environmental and technological themes predominated. Within this discourse, meaningful work emerged as a promising starting point for further research into how business leaders might engage with degrowth principles.I developed an accompanying creative narrative, The Meaningful Work Workplace, to explore how this framing might connect concerns about innovation, human skills and job security with wider social and environmental goals.The analysis also raised a further question: if better-quality work and reduced working hours are part of a more sustainable economy, how might the time and opportunities they create support wider social and environmental benefits, rather than simply making more room for unsustainable consumption?What the research opened upThe research identified meaningful work as a potential point of connection between degrowth principles and business leaders' existing concerns. It suggested that recognising shared motivations could provide a starting point for further research and engagement.
Discuss this research
If you'd like to discuss the findings or explore how this research approach could be applied to other topics that spark tensions, please get in touch.
About

I'm a designer, researcher and educator with a background spanning creative practice, sustainable development and interdisciplinary learning.
I began my career in design, developing concepts, products and immersive environments shaped by an interest in the natural world, community and alternatives to trend-driven consumption. Growing up in rural Northern Ireland influenced how I thought about our relationship with nature and material culture - questions that continued to inform my work as my interests developed.Wanting to explore these questions more deeply and develop the research skills to investigate them, I completed an MSc in Sustainable Development in Practice at the University of the West of England, graduating with distinction in 2021.Since then, I've worked across research, learning design and programme development with organisations including the World Health Organization, Design Council and University of Bath, alongside local authorities, design practices and community-led initiatives. My work has predominantly involved bringing overlooked perspectives into the conversation, helping people move beyond opposing positions and bringing the human creativity side of sustainable development to life. I'm particularly interested in the role of cities as a vibrant systems snapshot that connects sectors and disciplines at an accessible scale.I draw on social science, design research and creative practice, combining analytical enquiry with hands-on exploration. My experience spans learning programme design, participatory research, immersive environments and workshops that bring social science insights into design-led practice.I'm particularly interested in the discovery phase of a project: taking time to question assumptions, explore different perspectives and understand a situation before moving to ideas and implementation. This shapes my approach to education and learning design, where I develop creative resources and experiences that make this often-overlooked stage more accessible, engaging and productive.
Talks & Publications
Research contributor, 10th WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, World Health Organization, 2025.
“A Different Way”, online talk, RSA South West Coffeehouse, 2024.
“Design, differently with Communities”, futures-thinking vision script and presentation, Design Council / Design for Planet, 2023.
“Collaborative Bath”, public talk, Extraordinary Earth Day, Bath Abbey, 2023.
“Doughnut Economics: Can Bath Thrive like Amsterdam?”, public lecture, Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, 2023.
Lead author and book launch presenter, “Crafting Connections with Clothing: Values, Influence and Relationships”, in Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing and Textiles, Routledge, 2023.
MSc dissertation (Distinction), Communicating Degrowth, University of the West of England, 2021.
Researcher, author and presenter, “All Sewn Up: Dismantling Fast Fashion Consumption as a Social Practice”, Sustainable Innovation Conference, 2021.
Qualifications
MSc Sustainable Development in Practice, Distinction - University of the West of England
BA(Hons) Fashion Promotion & Illustration, 2:1 - Surrey Institute of Art & Design (now University for the Creative Arts)
Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) - Queens University Belfast
Testimonials
Reflections on working together
“Carra is a driven, intelligent and curious colleague - when working with us at the Design Council, she helped to deliver a complex project with a range of stakeholders. She pushed participants to think deeper about the work they were aiming to deliver, and ultimately created a more meaningful process. This, in turn, led to longer-lasting outcomes.“
— Emily Whyman, Senior Programme Manager, Design Council“I would describe Carra as rigorously creative, in that she combines systems thinking and critical thinking with the spontaneity needed for new ideas. Not many people can do this. She questions everything and because she's also a terrific person, connects with people on many levels. It's an impressive combination of skills for change-making. Working with Carra definitely made me a better designer.”
— Darren Evans, Strategic Designer and Design Council Expert“Carra brought insight, thoughtfulness, and a deep sense of curiosity to the work we did together at the WHO on tobacco control. She approaches complex challenges with care and intellectual rigor, always seeking to understand the deeper dynamics at play. At the same time, she brings real joy and warmth to a team - Carra made a lasting impact on the work and on me personally.“
— Dr Hebe Gouda, Project Officer, World Health Organization“A huge boost to the quality of design thinking at the show. Carra's approach to every project is in-depth, practical and passionate; working with her is always a very pleasurable experience and her ability to make things happen both creatively and practically is invaluable.”
— William Knight, former Show Director, 100% Design at London Design Festival
Feedback from workshops and learning sessions
“The workshop exceeded my expectations and broadened my thinking on this subject.”
“The faciliated discussion while completing the workbook activities really brought the theory into my everyday inside and outside of work. This highlighted the areas that I could focus my sustainability leadership in, and strengthened awareness of how to engage with others not on the same page as me.”
“Great session overall - learnt more about myself and left feeling energised and empowered to take action.”
“The report Carra compiled was very fair and honest, it has helped us to focus our goals moving forward.”
Contact
I work across research, design and creative learning, connecting ideas, evidence and lived experience to help people explore complex questions, examine different perspectives and discover new possibilities.
I welcome enquiries about:Teaching & learning design
Contributing to university courses and professional education through interdisciplinary teaching, participatory methods and creative learning experiences. I draw on academic and applied research, design practice and creative methods to help people engage with unfamiliar ideas, question assumptions and explore real-world challenges.Research planning & development
Helping teams review projects, revisit assumptions and plan research that addresses knowledge gaps, includes missing perspectives and identifies what needs further investigation.Learning resources
Developing teaching materials, field guides, creative exercises and other resources that make complex subjects accessible and support independent or facilitated learning.Research & writing
Collaborating on research, writing and publications exploring people, places, systems and social and environmental change, connecting theory and evidence with lived experience and everyday practice.I'm based in the UK and open to international collaborations. For an informal chat about possibilities, please get in touch via email, LinkedIn, or the contact form below.

















































