Design als Haltung

A Plea for a New Understanding of Design

For decades, design has been heavily focused on stimulating needs and driving consumption. This concept of design stems from the spirit of the economic miracle and reached its peak during a time of exuberant stock markets and neoliberal economic systems. Today, we look in horror at environmental destruction, societal division, and the rise of political extremism as consequences of this way of doing business. It is time to forge new paths!

Design and society are in a close interrelationship. Design influences how people interact with one another and how they behave in the designed environment. This book paves the way for a new understanding of design that focuses on an open-ended and inclusive process, oriented towards collaboration rather than serving turbo-capitalism.

Because design can positively change the world. And because, understood this way, design gives more meaning to life.