“As designers we have an unthinking optimism about the future. We automatically assume that what we design is neutral and implicitly good. There is a deeply embedded ideology that the role of design and architecture is ‘to make the world a better place’. But how do we acknowledge our contradictions, our inconsistencies and celebrate a humanness which, if we admit it, is deeply flawed?" they ask.
The shift from thinking about applications to implications creates a need for new design roles, contexts and methods. For Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby it’s not just about designing for commercial, market-led contexts but also for broader societal ones. It’s not just about designing products that can be consumed and used today, but also imaginary ones that might exist in years to come. And it’s not just about imagining things we desire, but also undesirable things — cautionary tales that highlight what might happen if we carelessly introduce new technologies into society.
Dunne & Raby use design as a critical medium to explore fields of science such as biotechnology and nanotechnology. Evidence Dolls playfully probes the implications of DNA knowledge between lovers, while Designs for Fragile Personalities in Anxious Times continues their obsession with the psychological impact of an atomised society. It celebrates humans as contradictory, complex and psychologically flawed.
Meet the future with Dunne&Raby at Design Indaba Conference, from 25 to 27 February 2009.
Book before 12 December 2008 to make use of the Early Bird and Alumni discounts.
“As designers we have an unthinking optimism about the future. We automatically assume that what we design is neutral and implicitly good. There is a deeply embedded ideology that the role of design and architecture is ‘to make the world a better place’. But how do we acknowledge our contradictions, our inconsistencies and celebrate a humanness which, if we admit it, is deeply flawed?" they ask.
The shift from thinking about applications to implications creates a need for new design roles, contexts and methods. For Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby it’s not just about designing for commercial, market-led contexts but also for broader societal ones. It’s not just about designing products that can be consumed and used today, but also imaginary ones that might exist in years to come. And it’s not just about imagining things we desire, but also undesirable things — cautionary tales that highlight what might happen if we carelessly introduce new technologies into society.
Dunne & Raby use design as a critical medium to explore fields of science such as biotechnology and nanotechnology. Evidence Dolls playfully probes the implications of DNA knowledge between lovers, while Designs for Fragile Personalities in Anxious Times continues their obsession with the psychological impact of an atomised society. It celebrates humans as contradictory, complex and psychologically flawed.
Meet the future with Dunne&Raby at Design Indaba Conference, from 25 to 27 February 2009.
Book before 12 December 2008 to make use of the Early Bird and Alumni discounts.