Ralf Michel

Wolfgang Jonas

Michelle Christensen

Design is inextricably interwoven with all aspects of life and has even produced its own astonishing genre of research. Design research opens up new perspectives of interdisciplinary empiricism, joining with economics, sociology, technology, and philosophy to produce analyses and syntheses that get to the heart of daily life. The twelve contributions from international authors that comprise this book vividly make this case. They cover the relationship between subject and object, animation, all forms of representation, design activism, and many other themes. This book is intended to inspire discussion. Its target reader is anyone seeking to expand their understanding of design, to fundamentally improve their praxis, and to more deeply appreciate life in all of its aspects.

Positions and Perspectives

NERD - New Experimental Research in Design 2

Michael Erlhoff

Design has long expressed and established itself as an independent research competence – a fact that also companies, institutions and politicians have come to acknowledge. What is still needed, however, is a stronger public platform for design to confidently reflect upon this process and to establish and communicate the specific innovative and experimental dimension of design research. For this reason, BIRD, the Board of International Research in Design, has developed the New Experimental Research in Design / NERD format. The edited conference contributions of twelve young researchers from all over the world provide an impressive and diverse and insightful range of intelligent and inspiring approaches in design research, giving rise to further debate and action in the rapidly evolving field.

NERD – New Experimental Research in Design

Marius Förster

Saskia Hebert

Mona Hofmann

Welche Rolle spielt Design in gesellschaftlichen Transformationsprozessen? Können Zukünfte und soziale Wirklichkeiten nachhaltig gestaltet werden - oder handelt es sich bei den Wirkungen gestalterischer Eingriffe um mehr oder weniger zufällige Reaktionen eigensinnig evolvierender sozialer Systeme auf gut gemeinte Interventionen? Wie wäre das »Bessere« zu definieren, besonders im Kontext von Nachhaltigkeit und der Debatte um eine notwendige »Große Transformation«? Im Aufspannen eines komplexen Netzes von Beiträgen aus Theorie und Praxis wird Design in diesem Band außerhalb disziplinärer Engmaschigkeit gedacht und nimmt soziale, ökologische, politische und ökonomische Herausforderungen ernst.

Un/Certain Futures - Rollen des Designs in gesellschaftlichen Transformationsprozessen

Sarah Zerwas

Kristof von Anshelm

“Transformation design” is looking for new ways to change our behavior and society through new forms of innovation. The existing user-oriented approach of design must therefore be extended to one that is society-oriented. The concept of transformation is based on the anthropologist Karl Paul Polanyi and his book The Great Transformation (1944), which described the emergence of the now almost undisputed and globally widespread western market logic: the transformation of societies with markets into market societies, which he calls “dislodgment of the markets”. Meanwhile, leading think tanks are referring to Polanyi. They are calling for a new social contract and the “re-embedding” of the market into society. What are the possible instruments and contributions of design for this new “Great Transformation”? The variety of the above questions, answers, theories, methods, ideas, and projects suggests that “transformation design” is not in fact a discipline in itself, but that it will lead to a fruitful discourse. The book attempts to form an initial position in terms of this ambitious and ethical design perspective. It also seeks to inspire the international debate to push for a project of responsible design.

Wolfgang Jonas

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