This website emerged after years of reflection on critical theory, art, and design, building upon my first blog, which remains active today: https://designforsociety.org/
The intention was to move beyond reflection on Critical Theory and Critical Thinking, bringing their principles into design practice through pro-duction (in the sense proposed by Giorgio Agamben) to generate meaningful transformations in people, the environment, and society.
Through doctoral research and design practice, these reflections evolved beyond theory into a practical guide: Designing Experiences for the Common Good. The manual provides a framework for individuals engaged in creative processes and in transforming the complex systems that shape culture, society, and the designed world.
“We need a critique of moral values; the value of these values themselves must first be called into question.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality (1887/1996)
In each of its stages, the manual serves as a manifesto designed to inspire transformative projects and cultivate hope. It functions as a device activated by moments of conflict, accompanying individuals through critical phases of their creative processes. It encourages reflection and enables the emergence of ideas that are meaningful, transformative, innovative, distinctive, singular, and institution-forming.
Through Design From Studio, we support individuals, organizations, and institutions as facilitators throughout every stage of the manual. We accompany creative and reflective design processes from the perspectives of Critical Thinking and Critical Theory. Together with a team of experts and an international network of collaborators, we help rethink complex challenges and, through this guide and a diverse set of design tools, imagine new pathways for transformation in pursuit of the common good and hope.
After leading several international workshops applied to real-world challenges, I recognized the need to establish Design From Studio in order to expand the impact of this approach beyond the classroom and research. The studio was created as a space for collaboration, where critical reflection and design practice come together to support individuals, organizations, and institutions in addressing complex challenges and imagining transformative futures.
Founder / Lilian González-González
Industrial Design Academic Coordinator/ World Design Organization – Advisory Board / Don Norman Design Award – Advisory Board / International Jury member in numerous awards / International speaker at: USA, Italy, Spain, México, Japan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Argentina / Leader and facilitator of international workshops / Visiting professor
Design Studio & Design Research Consultancy 