This design manual focuses on fostering reflection through a perspective informed by Critical Theory and Critical Imagination applied to social design, specifically the design of experiences for the common good. From this purpose emerges an initial observation: our relationships with objects have continuously evolved in response to ways of life that demand new qualities, characteristics, and capacities. Contemporary objects are increasingly required to generate more complex forms of interaction and meaning. Throughout this manual, such objects are understood as pro-ductions (Agamben, 1970, pp. 111–112) of design.
These added dimensions are examined and critically evaluated throughout the manual with the aim of providing a practical framework based on conceptual models that integrate a critical analysis of the historical and cultural structures of the present into the processes of design. Through this approach, and with the support of Critical Imagination, the manual seeks to encourage the pro-duction of social design experiences oriented toward the common good.
The framework presented in this manual was developed through an ongoing process of research and experimentation grounded in my own practice as a coordinator and professor in the Industrial Design Program. Since 2017, the methods and tools proposed here have been implemented across a wide range of design projects. This sustained practice has enabled a continuous search for reflections that enrich and expand contemporary design methodologies and tools.
Design Studio & Design Research Consultancy 