towardwith

Towardwith is a neologism used to describe a mode of practice that emphasizes moving with others toward shared, emergent ends rather than acting on others or for them. It foregrounds relational collaboration, reciprocity, and process over fixed outcomes. The term blends “toward” and “with,” signaling directionality toward collective agency and co-creation.

Origin and usage: The expression arose in late 2010s and early 2020s within design theory, participatory governance, and ethics discussions. It has been employed to articulate approaches that resist extractive, top-down methods and seek to embed inclusive participation in decision-making processes.

Characteristics: Towardwith stresses co-design with communities, iterative learning, and attention to power dynamics. It treats stakeholders as active contributors rather than passive recipients and emphasizes accountability to those involved.

Applications: In urban planning, towardwith informs participatory design processes that invite residents to shape agendas from the outset. In organizational development, it guides collaborative change initiatives. In the arts and research, it supports co-creation practices that pursue shared, ongoing inquiry.

Reception and critique: Proponents argue it clarifies ethical commitments to accompaniment and solidarity. Critics warn that the term can be vague and that the concept requires concrete methods to prevent performative inclusion or power imbalances.

See also: participatory design, ethics of care, collaborative governance, co-creation, participatory action research.