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

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

That’s right, I mean it. If you want to do any good, you have to beat yourself up. It’s pretty easy though, just be a normal human being and strive for conquering the world. Why not aim to be the king, queen, prince or princess? To get to the top, you have to fight for it. What, you thought you could just climb the ladder, step by step, go higher and higher and you’ll get to the top of some roof and ... Read More

I’m sitting here on my bed with my 3 year-old Apple Powerbook — one of the old ones that has no Intel chip or Super Drive. I’ve forgotten how old I’ve become. I was in school with so much drive for social design. I must admit though, my drive made me super aggressive. Not very attractive. Is it? I’m unemployed by choice at the moment. Oh my! Unemployed? That’s such a disgrace to my education and my strive for being great. What a failure, ... Read More

Design. Oh design how I love you. I hate you so much because my love for you makes me hate myself. I love being a designer but I hate design. I love designing but I hate talking about it. I love talking but I hate people who talk so much. I hate designers but I love to master designing. I am a designer, I love people. I am a designer, I am people. I am passionate and violent, I make and destroy. ... Read More