Critical Design as a Resource. Adopting the Critical Mind-Set

Abstract

In this paper Critical design is regarded as a source of knowledge, which can benefit also other forms of design, if adopted by the designer as part of a critical mind-set. The focus is mainly on the enlightening potential of the Critical design attitude, which allows to critically revise one's assumptions. The author's intention is to increase the visibility of Critical design and to promote its inclusion into more traditional industrial design curricula both as a theory and practice. The author argues that studying existing Critical design projects can have an emancipating effect on the designers’ professional approach. Aspects of Critical design that are proposed as valuable include the awareness of ideological constructs and the capability to critically analyse them in order to avoid biased designs; understanding of the advancement of futures and the design's potential of steering it; principles of design fiction; and a deliberate use of design product as means of communication.