Post by Ros Galabo, PhD

**Publication Alert** It has been inspiring to see the incredible research papers shared by peers at the Design Research Society (DRS) #DRS2026 conference last week. To add to this wave of new design scholarship, I am glad to share my latest research article, officially published today in The Design Journal, one of the leading publications in the field of design research. This research article was a collaborative effort co-authored alongside Justin Sacks (Executive Director of the DRS), Marcella Abreu dos Santos (UFMA), and Jovemar Junior (ReappMobi) What the article explores - This research proposes a framework for creating digital commons as a practical pathway toward achieving digital ‘goodness’ through an equitable approach to platform design and governance. We propose the Digital Commons Design (DCD) framework to translate Elinor Ostrom’s institutional rules into actionable design propositions. Through our work, we developed a rich case study description with tools and valuable insights into how to co-design a commons platform. This work bridges commons scholarship with practical design actions, offering valuable resources for future community initiatives. Why it matters: - The findings offer a practical example and insights into establishing a more equitable digital society through a community-led design and governance approach. For designers, this offers a model to shift governance rights away from institutional gatekeepers toward community autonomy. For policymakers, this study provides an empirical blueprint to operationalise the United Nations’ mandate to reclaim the digital commons as a global public good. The Cooperativa Digital project discussed in this research article was funded by the ESRC Digital Good Network, whose support made this research possible. Thank you to the editorial team, the reviewers, and the participating CSOs whose collaborative efforts brought this work to fruition. Read the full open-access paper here: https://lnkd.in/eJCkUznx Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University, UFMA - Universidade Federal do Maranhão #DesignResearch #ParticipatoryDesign  #DigitalEquity  #PlatformCooperatives  #Commons #Codesign #CoCreation #DigitalFutures #DigitalInnovation #Ostrom #CommonGood #DigitalDesign