Reimagining Lough Neagh Through Design, Community Ownership, and Ecological Responsibility
We’re excited to announce that DTNI and our partners will be represented at the upcoming World Design Congress 2025 in London this September. The research poster designed by Jane Kyle, has been officially accepted for exhibition under the theme ‘Shifting Paradigms – From Extractive to Regenerative Design’ under this year’s ‘Design for Planet’ theme.
This global gathering, hosted by the World Design Organization and Design Council, brings together designers, researchers, and community practitioners from around the world to explore how design can address planetary challenges and support just, sustainable futures. We’re proud that this design, bringing together work and research from DTNI and it’s partners, will feature as part of this important conversation.
About the Poster
The poster presents a design research investigation into the future of Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in Ireland and Britain, and one facing urgent ecological, social, and political pressures.
At the heart of the project is a question:
What if we viewed Lough Neagh not as a resource to be managed, but as a living system to be related to—and held in common?
The work is grounded in:
- DTNI’s past research around Lough Neagh
- Systems mapping of the current ecological and governance structures
- Stakeholder interviews with local organisations, environmental advocates, and legal scholars
- Comparative case studies from Ecuador, New Zealand, and Scotland
- Design methodologies including Transition Design and visioning of future systems
The poster proposes that design can help us map the current extractive system, surface alternative pathways, and support community-led responses that are democratic, inclusive, and long-term in vision.
“I wanted to bring together some of the powerful and important work happening around Lough Neagh and explore some of the ways design could help us not just analyse what’s broken, but imagine what we could do. Visual communication plays a key role in that – helping us tell more compelling, connected stories about the futures we want to build, and who gets to be part of shaping it.”
Key Insights
Some of the poster’s key findings include:
Community weariness is real – but so is the appetite for change.
Stakeholders initially expressed scepticism, but quickly became engaged and optimistic when introduced to the idea of community ownership as a structural solution.
Fragmentation remains one of the most significant challenges.
Siloed public bodies, unclear legal responsibilities, and poor coordination have created a system where no single entity is accountable for the health of the Lough.
Community ownership offers coherence and agency.
It is seen not as a symbolic gesture, but a practical model to unite diverse interests, attract new resources, and establish a long-term governance approach rooted in place.
The Rights of Nature framework helps reframe the conversation.
Inspired by global examples such as the Whanganui River (New Zealand) and Machángara River (Ecuador), the idea of recognising Lough Neagh as a legal entity with rights opens new possibilities for law, accountability, and care.
Design plays a critical role in facilitating this transition.
Design methods allow us to not only map what exists, but also imagine what could be – bridging between present conditions and desired futures.
Why This Matters
This submission brings together DTNI’s ongoing work to support democratic ownership, place-based governance, and civic innovation across Northern Ireland. The Lough Neagh project invites us to think differently about land, nature, and power – and to support communities in leading that change. See more about DTNI’s Lough Neagh work.
Follow Along
The World Design Congress takes place in London this September 9-10, and we’ll be sharing updates from the event and reflections from the exhibitions and workshops.
For now, we’re proud to mark this moment – and to contribute a local voice to a global movement for designing better futures.