This article introduces the concept of “communal innovation” as the collaborative process through which marginalized communities or community-based organizations transform their social and ecological environment towards collective wellbeing. Communal innovations are emerging from place-based ontologies that allow for the construction of futures beyond the promise of “development.” In these contexts, design, and particularly collaborative design (co-design), is identified as a central tool to create plural notions of science, technology and innovation. This paper draws from literature in the fields of critical development studies, de-colonial studies and innovation studies, among others, to clarify the limitations of the conventional market-oriented innovation framework and to explore the possibilities for marginalized communities to create their own transitions towards collective wellbeing through a bottom-up perspective. The reflections which emerge from this analysis open new pathways for the engagement of the academy and civil society organizations to foster autonomy, freedom and communality in partnership with marginalized communities.