Equity in and through transdisciplinary design research: Towards a pluriversal ethics of engagement for transcultural collaborations

Transdisciplinary design research can embed equity in and through its collaborative approaches by genuinely engaging communities and stakeholders in the context of Global North–Global South projects. However, such approaches can fail to address inequities prior to engagement, undermining oppressed groups’ agency and limiting researchers’ capacity for authentic transcultural collaboration, thereby risking tokenistic interventions. This research note contributes to debates on how equitable collaborations and mutual learning can be (co)designed to tackle the re-enactment of oppression in and through design research. The study draws on semi-structured interviews with 11 researchers experienced in transdisciplinary design research within Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects to identify challenges and best practices in transcultural collaborative processes, alongside a purposive literature review spanning decolonial design, cultural studies, critical pedagogy, social justice, and philosophy. Our findings outline a future agenda underpinned by a pluriversal ethics of engagement, which entails considerations for co-designing equitable engagement and mutual learning.