book

Design Activism

by Alastair Fuad-Luke

June 2013

Intermediate to advanced

272 pages

7h 6m

English

Routledge

Read now

Unlock full access

Defining ‘design’ todayDefining ‘activism’ todayActivism and the Five Capitals FrameworkThe activism landscapeActivism in architecture, design and artMotivation and intentionIssue-led design and the sustainability challengeDefining the design activism spaceDrawing lines between ‘avant-garde’ and ‘activism’A preliminary definition of ‘design activism’Notes

Design as ‘giving form to culture’1750–1960: Mass production and (sporadic) modernityExistenzminimum and other socially orientated housing projects by the Deutscher WerkbundBauhaus myths and realities1960–2000: From Pop and Postmodernism to Postmodern ecology and beyondThe Postmodern ecologistsThe alternative designersThe eco-efficiency activistsWhat are the lessons learnt?Notes
A precarious balance in a changing climateResource depletionOil and peak oilEssential mineralsLand for food productionWater for humans and agricultureEcological capacity and biodiversityUnsustainable consumption and productionSocial inequity, poverty and migrationEconomic inequity and new visions of enterpriseOther significant issuesNotes
Thinking about design activism‘Socially active design’: some emergent studiesAn emergent typology of contemporary design activism?Another approach to contextualizing design activismThe critical role of artefacts in design activismActivism targeting the over-consumersRaising awareness, changing perceptions, changing behaviourWays of making and producingEco-efficiency improvementsContesting meaning and consumptionSocial cohesion and community buildingMiscellaneous activismActivism targeting the under-consumersShelter, water, foodRaising awareness by educationTackling health issuesMiscellaneous activismNotes
Dealing with ‘wicked problems’The rise of co-creation, co-innovation and co-designThe open source and open design movementsThe intellectual commonsDesign approaches that encourage participationCo-designNotes
People, people, peopleToolbox for online worldExisting design activism networksDistributed collaborationWays of sharing visualizationsWays of makingToolbox for real worldSelecting the right kind of co-design eventNotes
Design for a better futureThe happy sustainable planet?Bio-local and bio-regionalEmerging enterprise modelsNew ways of making and buildingEco-efficient futures (slowing and powering down)Regeneration and renewalMaverick, solo designer or co-designer?Anticipatory democracy and the ‘MootSpace’Notes

Content preview from Design Activism

Scoping the Territory: Design, Activism andSustainability

‘Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.’

Edward Abbey, environmental author

‘Design, never a harmless play with forms and colors, changes outer life as well as our inner balances.’

Richard Neutra¹

‘Design activism’ has a delicious tension. We carry an understanding of ‘design’ and of ‘activism’ but joining the words together imbues a certain ambiguity. To say ‘design activism’ is to imply that it already exists and has an established philosophy, pedagogy and ontology, i.e. it ...