Critical design
Encyclopedia
Critical Design, takes a critical theory
based approach to design. Popularized by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby through their firm, Dunne & Raby
. Critical design uses designed artifacts as an embodied critique or commentary on consumer culture. Both the designed artifact (and subsequent use) and the process of designing such an artifact causes reflection on existing values, mores, and practices in a culture.
A critical design will often challenge its audience's preconceptions and expectations thereby provoking new ways of thinking about the object, its use, and the surrounding environment. Critical Designers generally believe design that provokes, inspires, makes us think, and questions fundamental assumptions can make a valuable contribution to debates about the role technology plays in everyday life.
Design as critique is not a new idea. For example, Italian Radical Design
of the 1960s and 70s was highly critical of prevailing social values and design ideologies. Critical design builds on this tradition.
The term Critical Design was first used in Anthony Dunne’s book Hertzian Tales (1999) and further developed in Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects (2001). Its opposite is affirmative design: design that reinforces the status quo. It is more of an attitude than style or movement; a position rather than a method. There are many people doing this kind of work who have never heard of the term critical design who have their own way of describing what they do. Naming it Critical Design is simply a useful way of making this activity more visible and emphasising that design has other possibilities beyond solving problems.
Nevertheless Critical Design is discussed as an approach in Design Research
, as a way to critique social, cultural, technical and economic controversies through designing critical artefacts. According to Sanders Critical Design involves also probes as "ambiguous stimuli that
designers send to people who then respond to them, providing insights for the design process." Uta Brandes identifies Critical Design as discrete Design Research method and Bowen integrates it in human-centered design activities as useful tool for stakeholders to critically think about possible futures.
In recent years, FABRICA, a communication research center, owned by Italian fashion giant, Benetton Group
, has been actively involved in producing provocative imagery and critical design. FABRICA's Visual Communication department, under the leadership of Omar Vulpinari, actively participates in critiquing social, political and environmental issues through global awareness campaigns for international magazines and organizations like UN-WHO
. Some young artists producing critical design at FABRICA in recent years are Erik Ravello (Cuba), Yianni Hill (Australia), Marian Grabmayer (Austria), Priya Khatri (India), Andy Rementer (United States), and An Namyoung (South Korea).
The concept of critical play has also come into vogue in recent years. Researcher Mary Flanagan
wrote Critical Play:Radical Game Design in 2009, the same year that Lindsay Grace
started the Critical Gameplay project.
Dunne & Raby
and other teachers, researchers and graduates of the Royal College of Art
(RCA) such as James Auger, Crispin Jones and Noam Toran, are also well known practitioners of this area of design, but there are other designers working in a similar way as: Krzysztof Wodiczko
, Natalie Jeremijenko
, Jurgen Bey, Marti Guixé
and Elio Caccavale. In Latin America, the Critical Design is developed as research in the Faber-Ludens Institute of Interaction Design and the collective "Rápido e Sujo".
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
based approach to design. Popularized by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby through their firm, Dunne & Raby
Dunne & Raby
Dunne & Raby is a London based design studio established 1994.Dunne & Raby use design as a medium to stimulate discussion and debate amongst designers, industry and the public about the social, cultural and ethical implications of current and emerging technologies.-Principals:Anthony Dunne is...
. Critical design uses designed artifacts as an embodied critique or commentary on consumer culture. Both the designed artifact (and subsequent use) and the process of designing such an artifact causes reflection on existing values, mores, and practices in a culture.
A critical design will often challenge its audience's preconceptions and expectations thereby provoking new ways of thinking about the object, its use, and the surrounding environment. Critical Designers generally believe design that provokes, inspires, makes us think, and questions fundamental assumptions can make a valuable contribution to debates about the role technology plays in everyday life.
Design as critique is not a new idea. For example, Italian Radical Design
Radical period (design)
In Italy, in the second part of the 1960s, the design avant-gardes entered a new period of construction named "Radical".Probably the most notorious result of such avant-garde period is the very famous installation called "Superarchitettura", made in Pistoia in 1966.Within the Italian design...
of the 1960s and 70s was highly critical of prevailing social values and design ideologies. Critical design builds on this tradition.
The term Critical Design was first used in Anthony Dunne’s book Hertzian Tales (1999) and further developed in Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects (2001). Its opposite is affirmative design: design that reinforces the status quo. It is more of an attitude than style or movement; a position rather than a method. There are many people doing this kind of work who have never heard of the term critical design who have their own way of describing what they do. Naming it Critical Design is simply a useful way of making this activity more visible and emphasising that design has other possibilities beyond solving problems.
Nevertheless Critical Design is discussed as an approach in Design Research
Design research
Design research investigates the process of designing in all its many fields. It is thus related to Design methods in general or for particular disciplines. A primary interpretation of design research is that it is concerned with undertaking research into the design process. Secondary...
, as a way to critique social, cultural, technical and economic controversies through designing critical artefacts. According to Sanders Critical Design involves also probes as "ambiguous stimuli that
designers send to people who then respond to them, providing insights for the design process." Uta Brandes identifies Critical Design as discrete Design Research method and Bowen integrates it in human-centered design activities as useful tool for stakeholders to critically think about possible futures.
In recent years, FABRICA, a communication research center, owned by Italian fashion giant, Benetton Group
Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
, has been actively involved in producing provocative imagery and critical design. FABRICA's Visual Communication department, under the leadership of Omar Vulpinari, actively participates in critiquing social, political and environmental issues through global awareness campaigns for international magazines and organizations like UN-WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
. Some young artists producing critical design at FABRICA in recent years are Erik Ravello (Cuba), Yianni Hill (Australia), Marian Grabmayer (Austria), Priya Khatri (India), Andy Rementer (United States), and An Namyoung (South Korea).
The concept of critical play has also come into vogue in recent years. Researcher Mary Flanagan
Mary Flanagan
Mary Flanagan is an artist, author, educator, and designer currently residing in Hanover, New Hampshire. She is inaugural chair holder of the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professorship in Digital Humanities at Dartmouth College and the director of the Tiltfactor Lab, an activist game design group...
wrote Critical Play:Radical Game Design in 2009, the same year that Lindsay Grace
Lindsay Grace
Lindsay Grace is a new media artist and professor who currently lives in Chicago, Illinois United States.- Career :He is the C. Michael Armstrong Professor in the School of Fine Arts and the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies at Miami University Miami University...
started the Critical Gameplay project.
Dunne & Raby
Dunne & Raby
Dunne & Raby is a London based design studio established 1994.Dunne & Raby use design as a medium to stimulate discussion and debate amongst designers, industry and the public about the social, cultural and ethical implications of current and emerging technologies.-Principals:Anthony Dunne is...
and other teachers, researchers and graduates of the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
(RCA) such as James Auger, Crispin Jones and Noam Toran, are also well known practitioners of this area of design, but there are other designers working in a similar way as: Krzysztof Wodiczko
Krzysztof Wodiczko
Krzysztof Wodiczko, born April 16th 1943, is an artist renowned for his large-scale slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments...
, Natalie Jeremijenko
Natalie Jeremijenko
Natalie Jeremijenko is an artist and engineer whose background includes studies in biochemistry, physics, neuroscience and precision engineering. She is an active member of the net.art movement, and her work primarily explores the interface between society, the environment and technology...
, Jurgen Bey, Marti Guixé
Marti Guixé
Marti Guixé is a Spanish designer living in Barcelona and Berlin. He graduated in interior design from Elisava in Barcelona in 1985 and enrolled in an industrial design study program in Scuola Polytecnica di Design di Milano in 1986...
and Elio Caccavale. In Latin America, the Critical Design is developed as research in the Faber-Ludens Institute of Interaction Design and the collective "Rápido e Sujo".
See also
- ActivismActivismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
- Cautionary Tales
- Conceptual Design
- Contestable Futures
- Critical Gameplay
- Interrogative Design
- Radical Design
- SatireSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
- Social Fiction
- Speculative Design
External links
- Dunne & Raby
- Noam Toran
- Crispin Jones
- Elio Caccavale
- Martí Guixé
- Natalie Jeremijenko
- Jurgen Bey
- Auger Loizeau
- Troika
- FABRICA
- Critical Gameplay Project
- Designing Critical Design, part 1
- Designing Critical Design, part 2
- How should we critique ‘Critical Design’?
- Critical Design and nanotech
- Don't Panic by Roger Ibars (article)
- Review of Don't Panic
- Critical Design F.A.Q
- Rápido e Sujo/Quick and Dirty (Brazil)