Harm reduction design: doing health and safety differently

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to document a novel course titled Harm Reduction Design Studio. The course introduced the harm reduction problem space to design students for designing objects, social worlds, infrastructures and ecologies that shape human and nonhuman social interactions within them. Design/methodology/approach Extending tenets drawn from social movements for harm reduction from the focus on drugs and habits begins the reparative work of undoing past harms, living well in the present and reducing future harms. This course introduces history, theory and practice of harm reduction in relation to health, well-being, social connection and safety. Findings The course was piloted from August to December 2024 in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, USA. Social implications Society-wide implications for mainstreaming harm reduction are far-reaching. For instance, the U.S. National Science Foundation has recently called for ways to “incorporate ethical, social, safety, and security considerations” into research design to mitigate potential harms of scientific research and amplify societal benefits. This course prepares students to think upfront about incorporating harm reduction into the design of technological artifacts. Originality/value This course presents a replicable model for bringing harm reduction and design pedagogy together in the shared spirit of encouraging the readership of Drugs, Habits and Social Policy to widen participation in design practice.