Design principles and practices editorial: introduction to the special issue 2022

Welcome to this Special Issue of Design Principles and Practices. The papers in this special issue were delivered at the 2022 Design Principles and Practices Conference that was held January 19 to 22, 2022, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. In a beachside location in New South Wales, during a gentle summer, after previous summers smoky with fierce bushfires, and COVID-19 lockdowns, the 2022 conference was an enlightening opportunity for people to come together online, and, as the theme of the conference suggested get Back to Life. The conference brought together a network of critically engaged designers to examine, through a design lens, some of the big questions that face society, such as climate change; design for neurodiversity and inclusivity; working with and listening to Indigenous voices; design for older people; and the designer’s role in activism and awareness raising for critical issues. These issues were explored through the six key themes: Design Education, Design in Society, Designed Objects, Visual Design, Design Management and Professional Practice, and Architectonic, Spatial and Environmental Design.