Designing for co-becoming: Toward a relational and pluriversal design ethic

As ecological and societal crises intensify, a shift in design philosophy is urgently needed—one that moves beyond anthropocentrism and embraces relational, multispecies perspectives. This paper introduces Co-becoming as a relational design framework grounded in Chinese and Japanese ontologies. Rather than viewing design as the imposition of form upon passive matter, Co-becoming reframes design as an attunement to the evolving relational fields of human and more-than-human life. Drawing on East Asian philosophical traditions, the paper outlines a cosmological foundation for rethinking design as a participatory, process-oriented, and ethical practice. In addition, the paper argues for the central role of narrative in paradigm shift. Through worldmaking practice, designing for Co-becoming enables designers to cultivate humility, resonance, and care, engaging multiple species in the co-creation of ethical futures. By integrating East Asian relational worldviews with contemporary design discourse, this study contributes to the development of a pluriversal design ethic.