Transforming Power through Design

A Design Anthropological Intervention in the Local Energy Transition

This dissertation explores how design can transform power relations in societal transitions. Based on 3.5 years of design anthropology fieldwork in Amsterdam's local energy transition, it develops the concept of power-work, showing how designers can foster more reciprocal, inclusive, and transformative collaborations between communities, governments, and other stakeholders. The research contributes a new framework for understanding the relationship between design, power, and societal change.