Can We Live Without Money?

I, as a designer, am very much aware of how we are built by the systems we make. 

Of the most powerful and pervasive systems with which to govern our whole lives, one needs to look at money controlling the great mass of daily problems at root. 

I find that whether or not we are able to live without money sparks much philosophical half not need to ponder over good itself exchange and creativity.

We could think of a world without money as pure utopia, but reframing that paradigm like a designer, we gain clarity with complications being identified.

Money & the Modern Economy

Use money to trade, store wealth, or as a measure of value. 

It provides access to products and services and creates dependency. 

Like money defines the constraints and opportunities for designers. It sets project budgets, shapes client expectations, and shapes the target creative freedom. 

In the world of money, design gets commodified, and profits end up above innovation or sustainability.

Contribution of the useful tool unfortunately causes inequities and rivalry models as a better, overcooperation and rewarding individual collaboration and social benefits farfetched in nature versus immediate short-term gains versus long-term well-being.

In design, a lot of times we ask ourselves.

What if we did not have this intermediary? 

What if work and ideas of creativity were traded more directly and fairly?

Alternatives to Money: Barter, Community, and Creativity

Not having money in your life requires new forms of exchange, i.e., barter (goods & services) or common use systems. 

This evolution could allow more designers to create in a more synergistic and resourceful manner. 

Picture a society where you can trade design expertise for food, shelter, or anything else necessary. 

This system can flatten structures and allow design to be publicly administered, where creativity can fill the world without money.

But they are not without difficulties. 

The market is only good if and when there is a simultaneous mismatch on needs. 

In addition, a majority of the large-scale projects need materials, tools, and capabilities that are money-to-drama bargains. 

A designer I know says software, hardware, and materials, all of which are supported within a monetized ecosystem. 

To move to a non-money system would reframe how these resources are produced and distributed.

Design as a Catalyst for Change

As a designer, design has the ability to envision and prototype a new way of living. Designer-wise, I imagine being able to build systems with little or even no money. 

Have you noticed how open-source platforms, circular economies, and even decentralized networks are prototypes of this sharing/resource sharing? 

Designers are able to provide tools, spaces, and systems for sustainability collaboration and accessibility.

Think of the popularity of free or community-funded digital design tools. Used by creators who cannot afford it, these tools demonstrate that value doesn't have to be extracted from creator to consumer through traditional monetary exchange. 

Just like participatory design enables communities to co-design solutions, which makes them ownership-focused and minimises reliance on external funding.

The Human Element

Since design can work on some level of logistical obstacles, the convergence of a moneyless society is predicated on human behavior and value. 

Design for me, I feel like creativity and collaboration should also be able to replace the competition and greed that exist. 

Nevertheless, I also understand the ingrained behaviors and cultural norms around money running so deep. 

It is more than an idea of developing innovative design to transition away from this system, as it requires a fundamental cultural revolution.

Final Thought

Design with money in mind challenges designers to think about the systems of value and exchange and community beneath facets. 

It raises huge problems, but also opportunities to build a more just and sustainable world. 

Creativity and resourcefulness—as a designer, I think these are the only resources that might help us build non-monetary systems—first for human connection and second for environmental stewardship. 

We may not ever get rid of money anytime soon, but hopefully we can adopt some aspect of collaboration, be a little more sharing-oriented, and innovate our way out of being a more balanced life.