Syncretism 5.0: Could Design Become a Meta-religion for Global Communion?

Happiness, is every human’s ultimate desire. Good, Bad, Right, Wrong, Morals, Ethics, Justice, Harmony, Unity and Peace, Do they matter? Unity and Harmony are virtues, every Designer, strives for in finding ‘humane’ solutions to ‘wicked’ problems. These virtues appear to be rather elusive to sustain throughout human history. Yet, through the crests and valleys of civilizations, people have managed to co-exist and behave somewhat synchronously across generations. How? This paper is a Designer’s attempt to understand ‘Design’ through the analogy of ‘Religion’ both in the traditional and modern sense. It studies the ‘syncretic’ ability of ‘religion’ to build and maintain cohesive communities over long spans of time and suggests how Design can emulate that prowess in addressing world’s urgent problems. By examining trends and developments in design practice, the paper suggests a vision for ‘Design’ as a ‘Dharma’ that fosters ‘Syncretism’ for a harmonious, plural, just and happy global communion.