SPOD #9 Zur Dialektik des Social Design

In order to reconstruct the conceptual relationship between the aesthetic and the critical, the essay proposes that the idiosyncratic forms of art be understood as an aesthetic critique of social reality. Design, on the other hand, requires critical thematization, as it is always already inscribed in social practices. This thesis is developed in more detail with regard to social design, in which its procedural and normative sides cannot be reconciled.

The open-ended publication series Studienhefte Problemorientiertes Design SPOD makes historical and contemporary reflections on the social and political dimension of Design accessible. It is a collection of irregularly appearing texts that critically examine the practical, cultural, methodological and everyday functions of Design. The problem-oriented approach aims to link design to the contradictions, potentials and circumstances of reality. Based on a critical examination of the possibilities and limitations of Design, alternative models of Design are outlined that contradict the established market-based design practice.