Alexandra Plesner & Floris Wolswijk
Psychedelics are linked to creativity, influencing modern design by fostering unconventional problem-solving and inspiring empathic design systems. Notable figures like Steve Jobs have credited psychedelic experiences with shaping their design ethos, highlighting a growing trend in 2024 where designers use psychedelics to create connections among people and with the planet.
Summary
It’s no secret that psychedelics and creativity are intrinsically linked. If you look around, you won’t have to go very far to find psychedelic-inspired byproducts from visionary figures whose work has changed the world, from Yoko Ono, to Aldous Huxley, to Steve Jobs.
While psychedelics’ impact on art is well-documented, the psychedelic influence on design remains largely unexplored, despite luminaries like Jobs attributing psychedelic experiences to shaping their design ethos.
How do people working in the design world work with psychedelics in 2024? Spoiler: psychedelics are being used to foster unconventional problem-solving, inspire new empathic design systems, and lead to designs that reconnect people with each other and the planet.

