Adaptive Capacity: Design as a Societal Strategyfor Designing ‘Now’ and ‘Co-futuring’

Design Activism Alastair Fuad-Luke

Mert Kulaksız4.03.2014

Where Goes The DailyID 501 Advanced Project Development in Industrial DesignMiddle East Technical University, Department of Industrial Design

Maverick, solo designer or co-designer?

“…design’s supreme role has been, and continues to be, about giving form to the concurrent industrial, consumer and information economies, all connected within a greater globalized economy. Design makes the material forms of these economies culturally acceptable.”(pp. 187)

industrialeconomy

consumereconomy

informationeconomy

globalized economy

Currently, design to form these economies

‘Heads are round so that thoughts can change direction.’ Francis Picabia

INTRODUCTION“This is not to say that design has been devoid of altruism forbroader societal concerns. Nor has design totally ignored the effect of its materialized outcomes on nature. Yet, as we look at man-made artefacts, the built environment, and the manufacturing and public infrastructures, we are gazing on an aesthetic that represents collectively endorsed visions of ‘beauty’ verified as economically viable.”(pp. 187)Many other visions of beauty simply do not make it to reality because they do not meet with the current culture of economics.

“We need a new vision of beauty – we could call this beauty, ‘beautiful strangeness’”(pp. 188)

INTRODUCTIONA Beauty that is

- unusual- intrigue- with full of newness- appeals to innate sense of curiosity- more than skin deep- envisioned, planned by society, not just by big

business and governments- serving and healing society’s divides( around wealth,

health, education, access to digital and other technologies)

- adaptable to future- not ‘de-futuring’- slowing down the economy and putting our energies

into other societal values and measurables

That is why design needs to take on a more activist role on behalf of society/ societies and the environment.

Happy Planet Index (HPI)Life Expectancy X Life Satisfaction

Ecological Foot Print =

New Economic Foundation

HPI is a measure of ecological efficiency delivering human well-being.

Anticipating Democracy and“Countries at the top of the list may surprise: first is Vanuatu,the pacific island state, second is Colombia and third isCosta Rica, all blessed with good ecological capacityand populated with contented, long-lived peoples”

“Clearly material development and wealth do notnecessarily equate with subjective notions of a good orbetter life. Significantly, the NEF reports also indicatethat higher social capital tends to exist where lifesatisfaction is highest.”

“Building social capital and improving human well-being are therefore two mutual ambitions for design activism”

THE CREED OF PROGRESS

Climate change will drive a dramatic re-evaluation of local and regional biotic(living) assets because existing patterns of agriculture, water use, human habitation and biodiversity will change with rising global temperatures.

THE CREED OF PROGRESS”

www.mcdonoughpartners.com

.

“Most countries will have to deeplyconsider their food, energy and watersecurity in a more uncertain world”

Plans for urban rooftop farming by William McDonough for China.

THE CREED OF PROGRESS”

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Cuba experienced radical shifts in land ownership,societal organization and application of permaculture design thinking to reduce dependence on external synthetic inputs and by regenerating using nature’sown ability to maintain levels of fertility.

www.conspiracywiki.com

THE CREED OF PROGRESS”

.BedZED, Beddington Zero Emission Development,new expressions in visions of productive urbanLandscapes.

www.en.Wikipedia.org

CONCLUSION

Designers, like artists, are perceived by the public as possessing ‘natural’ creativityand the boundary between these two creative agencies is pretty blurred.

The vagueness with which the public perceive designers may be an advantage tothe maverick, solo designer who wishes to gain the attention of the public by anact of design activism, since such an activity would be expected of artists.

Each designer may find some projects are more easily pursued solo, whereasothers are better suited to more participatory, co-design modes of work. Fordesigners that already hold an ‘iconic’ status in the profession, and with a widerpublic, they may bring effective leverage to solo maverick and participatory designprojects.

Suzi Gablik, in her book The Re-enchantment of Art, ‘calls for anend to the alienation of artists and aesthetics from social values in a new interrelational, audience-oriented art’.25 In the same way, design needs to enjoin with active citizens to co-create and co-design the new ‘now’, the counter-narrative that points to a new directionality, towards sustaining that which genuinely sustains.

We need a participatory democracy and proper spaces for it.

Wharenui, Maori Gathering Househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wharenui

CONCLUSION

Taking these living and past traditions suggests the notion of anew democratic space for design. Let’s give it the designation‘MootSpace’ where every citizen (and citizen designer) knows their voice will be heard.(pp. 200)

“Whatever form the ‘MootSpace’ takes it should be a space that the group or community ‘owns’, one where they can comfortably discourse and co-design their ‘now’ and their future. Perhaps this is one arenawhere design activism will gather momentum to deliver participatorydemocracy, human flourishing and ecosystem renewal.”(pp. 200)

DISCUSSION POINTS

To which degree should accessibility to digital and other technologies be a good concern for our project? What type of other understandings can be offered regarding ‘technology’?How can the socially responsible options and its benefits can be made visible through design to stakeholders, to make them preferable?

Can a digital platform provide a proper space as ‘Mootspace’ could do?

‘…towards sustaining that which genuinely sustains.’ What types of tools can be provided to society to evaluate the genuineness of governments and big businesses.

Thanks for Listening