We are a multidisciplinary non-profit design consultancy, composed of architects, designers and social entrepreneurs on a mission to build the world we actually want to live in. For us, design is activism. Standing at the intersection of making*, spatial politics and community practice, we champion ‘outsider’ perspectives through research and design projects to address the environmental, social and spatial injustices felt at a societal level.

* making through art, craft, design, technology

Our design approach centres those on the fringes and people historically excluded or marginalised. By designing for the most marginalised, we create outputs that can work better for everyone in society. We exist to inspire, empower and enable magic in the everyday through creative healing and community activism, deepening our collective consciousness. We are concerned by the social function of art and design disciplines to foster new connections, caring communities and the world consciousness needed co-create the world we want to live in, for present and future ancestors.

We are unique in that we are set up as a non-profit organisation with an ultimate purpose that prioritises the needs of citizens and planet, rather than the traditional client/designer dynamic centred around designing luxury for the 1%. It is important to us that design and architecture not only includes people who are marginalised from the discipline, but also draws on the intelligence of the communities they come from. Our approach is rooted in cultural context and lived experience, and we use people and planet-centred design methods to underpin this.

We use stories to bring together expertise and power, to build skills, knowledge, influence – ultimately create change. Our aspiration is to move beyond engagement and towards the sharing of power. This happens as we work together to solve a common problem or achieve a collective dream. Fundamental to collaboration is developing relationships to build community, trust and enable co-authorship. Design proposals come directly from communities, through building a genuine contextual understanding of the most pressing needs, desires, hopes and dreams.

The brainchild of Umi Lovecraft BP, a maker, activist, architecturally trained designer and community/planetary centred design specialist, insider-outsider is a new approach to collaboration and doing design differently. Much of our vision for multi-disciplinary working and collaboration was evidenced through Okun Makoko, a two-year project led by Umi Lovecraft BP & Tolu Odusanya working in partnership with the Makoko Waterfront Community in Lagos, Nigeria 2015-17.

insider-outsider/Umi Lovecraft is a founding and lead member of decosm, a London based collective bringing together spatial practitioners to work towards decolonising city-making through education, practice, and transforming the places we live.