‘How can art and design cultivate critical expressions rooted in ethics of care and relationality to influence ecological, social, and economic structures?’
Delfina Fantini van Ditmar, PhD, focuses on ecological design and reflective practices as Professor Regenerative Art and Design. With a background in biology and design research, she explores paradigm shifts and material ethics, advancing regenerative and more-than-human perspectives
Dr. Delfina Fantini van Ditmar has a BA in Biology and holds a PhD from the Royal College of Art with a thesis entitled ‘The IdIoT‘. Previously she worked as a design researcher and Lecturer at the MA Fashion, MSc/MFA Innovation Design Engineering programme and the Design Products + Futures programme at the Royal College of Art.
Driven by her interest in ecological thinking, reflective practices and inter-relations as a systemic response to the environmental collapse, Delfina’s critical practice examines material ethics of care and the necessary paradigm shift in design. In her teaching practice, Delfina encourages students to reflect on epistemological paradigms, envision alternative futures, think systemically and critically analyse the broader implications of their decisions.
As of January 2026, she serves in an advisory role for a research centre in India at the invitation of the UNESCO Chair for Peace. In this role, she contributes to the development of a forward-looking academic ecosystem at the MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) Goa campus.
Guided by UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative, the Goa campus integrates technology, liberal arts, design, management, humanities, law, medicine, and emerging disciplines within a serene and future-ready environment. As part of its commitment to transdisciplinary education, MIT-WPU establishes a series of Centres of Excellence that function as hubs for specialised expertise, innovation, and capacity building. These centres strengthen the vital connections between academia, industry, and society.
In 2021 she was selected as one of the Future Observatory Design Researcher in Residency (DriR) at the Design Museum in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Additionally, Delfina is a co-investigator on B-Regen, an Economic and Social Research Council, formerly the Social Science Research Council (ESRC) funded project that examines the role of art and design in shaping regenerative entrepreneurship.
Delfina has been a crit and Visiting Lecturer in several institutions, including The Bartlett, Architectural Association, Goldsmiths, University of London, University of the Arts London (Central Saint Martins), Cambridge University, Manchester School of Art, University of Brighton, University for the Creative Arts (CCA), Loughborough University, Liverpool University, London School of Architecture, University of Leeds, Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Hochschule Luzern (HSLU), Critical Media Lab Basel, École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD), Politecnico di Milano, Syracuse University, Rice University, TU Berlin and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Tecnologico de Monterrey among others.
Research Group: Regenerative Art and Design
The Regenerative Art and Design (RAD) research group seeks to contribute to a new generation of regenerative designers and artists who address the pressing need for transitions that support planetary health. By taking whole systems responsibility through collaborative practices, the group aims to create transformative pathways for reimagining design futures grounded in care and ecological integrity.
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‘I see Regenerative Design as newness continuously reoccurring throughout the making process’
Ariane Fourquier 
‘How can we find new materials and products that rely on interdependence between communities and ecological systems rather than extraction?’
Hugo F. Garcia
‘It is through the “not-knowing” that a stimulating and caring environment can be created to confidently share vulnerability.’
Risk Hazekamp
‘A bio lab is a place of working with living organisms, brought out of their habitat so we can learn to think outside of the Petri dish. Let’s take care of these teachers!’
Michaela Davidová
