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

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

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