on Social Design.

From February until July this year I had the opportunity to be in Buenos Aires studying diverse social design projects. I was simultaneously meeting project owners, artists, performers and social designers working at many levels and in many formats. Most of my time I dedicated to Eloísa, a very unique publishing house. This resulted in a very rich personal experience that would deeply reshape my views on social design and socially engaged artistic practices. This post is a first attempt to put some of ... Read More

I must say that when I first entered the design world I honestly had no concrete idea about what the word “design” encompassed. At the beginning I decided to enter into the “design scenario” searching to satisfy my creative needs. Then, during my last year of college I found myself confused. It wasn’t possible that graphic design was only about corporate image, branding, perfectly designed magazine spreads and Photoshop. I found myself in endless conversations about choosing the perfect typography, creating the ... Read More

It's been now four months since I first arrived in Buenos Aires to conduct fieldwork for my PhD in social design. A post about it all is long due, and I can only say that the main reason that kept me from writing was actually the overwhelming abundance of projects to write about. I reckon I am still in a process of digesting it all. My time and energy here mostly headed towards the project that hosts me as a collaborator and ... Read More

The declaration of cultural revolutionaries for 2009 is an open experiment created, stated and set forth by art-ecology-education.org. It is a "putting in words of what is already in the air." The intention is viral, that is, the more these ideas are being read, spoken out, thought and discussed, the more their energy will manifest in our world and in our society. It counts with the participation of everyone with whom it resonates with. This participation can be manifold - you can choose ... Read More

This topic comes in the form of a question. For myself, I have found no answers, but an array of images which inspire me, and a set of texts and visions that serve as small leads which I go on chasing. Following this alluring trail, I encountered a handful of valuable books, from which I highlight Banathy's Designing Social Systems in a Changing World. As I am not done with that one yet, here I refer to another constructive encounter, Margaret J. ... Read More

The Blog On Social Design was recently honored to be among the 100th best blogs for those who want to save the world. This inspiring lineup of blogs is categorized into Environment, Social Action & Human Rights, Inspiration, Philanthropy & Funding, Health Care, Art, Leadership & Business, and general. Take a look at the full list here. The world is full of visionaries and people who want to make a difference in the world, and many of those people share their knowledge online through ... Read More

There’s no one better than the communications industry at telling people a message and getting them to act on it. But all too often, for one reason or another, its focus is on the work it does for its (paying) clients. As a group of young creatives, we found this situation incredibly frustrating. Three years ago we created Good 50x70 in an effort to redress the balance. Good 50x70 is a non-profit, independent, international social communication project that aims to provide charities ... Read More

That, would be my understanding of what social design is all about. Design is first and foremost about intention. Intention is starting point, path and destination at the same time. Social is about human, the fountain of intention. People working individually with similarly good intentions, will inevitably bridge many divides along the way and eventually solve complex problems. Divides and weaving There are many divides, some of which are: scale, space, time, issue, expertise, need, and the greatest of all, is that between idea and reality. ... Read More

The design industry grew rapidly in the 20th century, by satisfying the massive and growing needs of consumer products, industrial systems, and a business ethos of growth, fueled by advertising. I observe a significant change occurring in the language and outlook of people in the design fields, especially apparent in my adopted home city of Toronto. I see a new ethos emerging in this new century, one that stands on the shoulders of many who have long argued for systemic change. Citizen ... Read More

I first heard John Thackara speaking at an OpenTalk at the ExperimentaDesign Bienalle, in Lisbon. That was 2005, but ever since I've been a confessed follower of his writings. I bought In The Bubble that very same day and it became one of my cornerstone student books, from which I drew inspiration and a lot of questioning. I was one of those students who longed for the exercises to be a bit more about purpose and real problem-solving, and a little less ... Read More