Autopoiesis, a term coined by Chilean biologists and philosophers Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in the 1970s, refers to the self-generating and self-sustaining nature of living systems, emphasizing how organisms continuously reproduce and maintain themselves through internal processes. The term, derived from the Greek words auto (self) and poiesis (creation or production), signifies the ability of a system to define and regulate itself independently. In decolonial and design theory, thinkers like Arturo Escobar extend this concept to social and cultural systems, particularly in relation to autonomous design and communal world-making. For instance, Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities resisting extractive economies and globalized development models are practicing autopoiesis by maintaining their own traditions, governance structures, and territorial relations, rather than being shaped solely by external forces. Autopoiesis is a foundational principle in autonomous design, as it underscores the capacity of marginalized groups to self-organize and self-determine their futures without dependency on external hegemonic frameworks. Recognizing this process is key to decolonial approaches to design, which seek to support local epistemologies, relational ontologies, and pluriversal ways of being.