Benjamin Landau

Department: Contextual Design
Website: www.benlandau.com

Design in Krisis

Design in Krisis examines design in economic crisis, and design’s changing role, from things to thinking. I use the word Krisis to indicate a removal from the mediatised culture of crisis.

Designers must recognize this context, leaving design’s industrialised and capitalised history to become socially responsible. Foremost, as all design is political, designers may actively address ‘the political’ – to create situations which utilise plurality and agonism to confront choice.

In practice, designers can focus on sites of krisis – isolated places where krisis has an effect. Here, designers address the krisis of ethics and values, rather than merely the economy. Avoiding complicity is important, while embracing the systemic complexity of the situation at hand to propose altermodern ideas inspired by cultures of resistance.

The designer can become a radical political visionary.