Regenerate Through Play: Incorporating Human-Nature Dynamics In Design Education.

This 90-minute workshop invites 20 conference participants to co-design four multiplayer games that integrate design education with systems thinking to address human-nature interactions and sustainability. Climate crises exacerbate socio-economic disparities and political tensions (Cannon et al., 2020; Willige, 2024), linking to global geopolitics (Ghosh, 2017). Design education must equip students—especially undergraduates, the majority of whom do not pursue postgraduate studies (All India Survey on Higher Education, 2024)—to engage with these complexities. However, teaching complex theoretical models like Life Cycle Analysis and the Circular Economy at Undergraduate level remains challenging. In these contexts, active learning can enhance comprehension and retention (Minnick et al., 2022). Zimmerman (2008, 2022) argues that games can offer opportunities for understanding complex systems by introducing participants to systems literacy through structured play. Through games, people can also learn to interact with, modify, and innovate within systems. This approach also strengthens students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical contexts. The proposed workshop merges play-based active learning with systems thinking to demonstrate application of complex theories through active learning.