Doughnut Unrolled: Introducing the four lenses
An introduction to the four lenses and the set of tools you can use to help your place bring humanity into the Doughnut
Version 1.0 (April 2022)
📢 Now translated into French, Spanish, German and Brazilian Portuguese
Overview
The goal of the Doughnut is to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet, but what does this mean for the neighbourhoods, cities, districts or nations where we live?
To help you explore this question we've created Doughnut Unrolled, a concept that takes us from the Doughnut to four 'lenses' that invite you to look at the interplay between local aspirations and global responsibilities in your place – both socially and ecologically – and identify possible entry-points for transformative action.
.png)
This tool - Introducing the four lenses - introduces the concept of unrolling the Doughnut to reveal the four lenses on life, and the ways in which they can be used to help your place bring humanity into the Doughnut.
- Open the tool in the following languages here:
- Open the Miro canvases in the following languages here:
- All pdf canvases available here
Introducing the four lenses is one of five Doughnut Unrolled tools that work together to apply the ideas of Doughnut Economics to your place:
- Introducing the four lenses (this tool)
- Community Portrait of Place
- Data Portrait of Place
- Exploring a topic
- Dimensions of the four lenses
Together they help you create a 'Doughnut Portrait' of your place - a holistic picture with diverse inputs and perspectives - that can act as a starting point for transformative action.
.png)
Whilst we are launching these tools in English we are also kicking off a process for translating all 5 tools into some languages and we will share more details of this in the following weeks.
Why use it?
We recommend that anyone who wants to use the Doughnut Unrolled tools, or to develop their own methods for exploring the four lenses, start with this tool in order to fully understand the concept, some possible ways to use the four lenses and what it means to work with the four lenses with integrity.
If you are intending to introduce the four lenses to others, either as a workshop (see Community Portrait of Place and Exploring a topic), to undertake analysis (see Data Portrait of Place), or simply to raise awareness, then we suggest you read all the slides, save a version that you can edit, then create your own presentation that works for your context and message you'd like to share with your audience. This can be a combination of using slides directly from the presentation, adapting slides from the presentation, and creating your own slides that help you deliver greater understanding and context for your audience.
Who is it for?
This tool is for anyone who wishes to explore what the ideas of Doughnut Economics means for them in their place.
Important note: If you wish to use these tools as part of your consultancy or professional advisory services for others, then we require that you follow DEAL's policy for consultancies and professional advisors.
How long does it take?
The slides take about 30 minutes to read.
How many people is it for?
Any number of people who you wish to share the slides with, in whatever context, whether a presentation, workshop or other.
What materials do you need?
You do not need specific materials for this tool, however the workshop tools (see Community Portrait of Place and Exploring a topic) require material preparation, such as four lenses canvases, pens and sticky notes.
What does the facilitator need to know or be able to do?
If you are facilitating a process to introduce others to the four lenses, we recommend you familiarise yourself thoroughly with these slides, then read the other tools to see how you might put the ideas into action with others in your place.
If you are unsure about any part of this tool or would like to ask a question, please either leave a comment below, or contact the DEAL Team directly via the contact form and choosing the category 'Tools and Stories'.
Acknowledgements
This tool was created by Kate Raworth, Rob Shorter, Leonora Grcheva, and Andrew Fanning of the DEAL Team, in collaboration with Ruurd Priester.
The four lenses builds upon the methodology of Creating City Portraits co-created with Biomimicry 3.8, Circle Economy, and C40 Cities.
We would like to thank the DEAL Community members who reviewed and tested this tool and offered feedback that helped in its development, including Nicole Hagerman Miller of Biomimicry 3.8, Ilektra Kouloumpi of Circle Economy, Elizabeth Kelly and Monika Milewska of C40 Cities, Claudio Cattaneo and Ona Riera Mateu for the City of Barcelona, Jonas Boothe of Next Economy Lab (NELA), Mat Siffels of Amsterdam Donut Coalition, Roisin Markham of Irish Doughnut Economics Network (IDEN) and Alice Glendinning and Moze Jacobs of West Cork Doughnut Economy. For anyone we’ve missed, thank you, and do let us know so we can acknowledge your contribution here.
We would also like to thank Iconmonster for the icons used.
Links
- Open the tool in the following languages here:
- Open the Miro canvases in the following languages here:
- All pdf canvases available here
- Find all icons in png format here
Feedback
Healthy living systems rely on good feedback loops and we invite your comments, reflections and suggestion from using this tool to help us iterate and evolve for future versions.
You can do this two ways:
- The first is to leave a comment in the section below called Join the conversation. The benefit of this approach is that everyone can see and benefit from what you share.
- The second way is to contact the DEAL Team directly via the contact form and choosing the category 'Tools and Stories'.
Share
Share
This tool is licensed under a Creative Commons BY SA 4.0 license. For full details visit our Licensing Rules. 
-
Story
Community invited to help shape Worthing
Businesses, Community Groups, and local organisations invited to join the council to understand Doughnut Economics model
-
Story
Bielsko-Biała power of local activism
Community portrait of ambitious city in Poland getting familiar with doughnut.
-
Story
.png)
Cornwall's Global Donut Day
A summary of our contribution to the worldwide event on 13 November 2023
-
Story
Amsterdam Inspiration
Travelling to Amsterdam from our armchairs to bring the Doughnut's four lenses to life.
-
Story
Doughnut unrolled for cities during a hackathon
How to experiment emotionally and rationally the doughnut
-
Story
Unrolling the Doughnut: Professionals Community
An story of how a technology community can explore ways to evolve their initiatives
-
Story
Glasgow Engaging Multi-Sector Stakeholders
Glasgow City Portrait workshop with multi-sector stakeholders
-
Story
Workshops with Citizens in Tomelilla, Sweden
Master student explores Doughnut Unrolled tools together with citizens of the municipality to start a Community Portrait
-
Member
Jennifer Challinor
-
Member
Russell Whittington
Asturias, Spain
I'm a father and secondary school teacher, and I'm looking to apply what the people at are discovering to my local community. I live in a rural part of the world, and the changes our farming community has seen over the past decade have been pretty alarming. With that in mind, I would like to make connections and build on some ideas with others on this platform. I am the furthest things from an expert, which is why I'm turning to you at the DEAL community to help. Primarily, I'd like to focus on initiatives, and projects, with the goal of improving the in these areas, in local communities with the aim of building in our . Bigger picture projects would be something like , or making local communities more energy independent; also, improving to go beyond memorization but actually apply and synthesize what we're learning to improve the our lives and the lives of others. Lastly, I would also like to think about , and bring in the older and wiser members of a community to advise, plan and implement ideas and strategies that will improve the lives of the younger generations, and those to come. I believe this can a lot of this can be done by working with . I am also aware that this is not easy, and will require a away from perpetual that is mostly individualistic and towards a richer, more world that is more community-focused. Thanks for reading this far, and please get in touch.
-
Member
Wynnie Zhao
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Project Manager at UN Global Compact Network Canada. Co-organizer of Doughnut Economics Collective Toronto.
-
Member
Mark Hester
Henfield
I'm interested in Regenerative Design which led me to read the Doughnut Economics book several years ago. I have a background in Industrial Design and Human-Centred Design and am interested in how Design Thinking could combine with the principles of Doughnut Economics to create change.
-
Member
Clôd Baumgartner
Vienna, Tragöss, Austria
-
Member
Dorothée Lamé-Laroche
Nice, France
I spent 15 years in fostering local #economic development and designing major public infrastructure. I worked as Deputy Managing Director for Economy, Innovation, Employment and Int'l at Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis and used to run Sophia Antipolis Technopolis. I also gained international experience as project director in one of the major French concession and construction company. After realising economic development is a complex issue, in which we need to reconcile economic growth, planetary boundaries and social thresholds, I decided to focus on raising collective awareness about this issue, using the Donut Economic Model, which I find particularly clear and enlightning. I also decided to make a radical turn in my carreer and undertook the transformation of the family farm into an organic farm. I currently pursue my efforts to developping biodiversity within the family farm and help organisations shift their focus from economic development to Donut Economics! Let's shape a fairer and livelier future together!
-
Member
Nicola Senn
Heidelberg, Germany
I am working on my Bachelor Thesis about Doughnut Economics and the City Portrait Methodology. My goal is to work on a transfer of the City Portrait for the German city of Heidelberg, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. I am open to networking and exchanging information and experiences with any other people interested in applying the City Portrait to other cities.
-
Member
Vailland Eloïse
Nantes (France)
