Who sustains the designers? Resilience, professional practice and the future of design

Abstract

Design is increasingly positioned as a discipline capable of addressing complex societal challenges, yet comparatively little attention has been assigned to the wellbeing of the designers expected to undertake this work. This critical commentary argues that contemporary design discourse has overlooked the psychological demands associated with both systemic interventions and commercially constrained practice. Drawing on evidence from the creative industries, I examine how public controversy, ethical ambiguity, limited agency and value conflict create new pressures for practitioners. I argue that resilience should be understood as a strategic professional capability shaped by education, organisational culture and communities of practice rather than an individual responsibility. Finally, I propose a future research agenda spanning design education, professional practice, disciplinary research and public policy to strengthen designer resilience and support healthier, more sustainable careers.