Designed for despair describes systems or processes that are structured in ways that make meaningful resolution extremely difficult, often leaving families feeling exhausted, powerless, or hopeless. The term is used to highlight situations where barriers are not simply accidental but emerge from procedures that are complex, slow, opaque, or heavily weighted toward institutional convenience. In education advocacy, a process may feel designed for despair when families must navigate repeated meetings, unclear decision-making pathways, extensive documentation requests, or long waiting periods before a child receives support. Each step may appear reasonable on its own, but together they can create a cumulative burden that drains time, energy, and emotional capacity. When systems operate this way, persistence becomes the primary requirement for access to rights. Families with fewer resources, less time, or less familiarity with bureaucratic processes may struggle to sustain advocacy long enough to see change. Recognising when processes are effectively designed for despair helps shift attention from individual misunderstandings to structural barriers. It highlights the need for systems that are transparent, timely, and focused on resolving problems rather than prolonging them.