Inspired by letter changing word games, I have produced several ‘transition design word poems’ using words that relate to my sustainable design practice in an attempt to render visible the uncertainty, subjectivity, empiricism, and the messy journey taken towards research insights. This poem concept has potential as a design tool. Presented in print or in book form, or used in a workshop, these poems could generate discourse around systems change, the use of language in different cultures and the interconnectedness of all things.