1.2 Design Philosophy: Amplifying the Unheard

Corresponding Chairs

Fernando Secomandi, Daniel Portugal

Co-Chairs

Virginia Tassinari, Philippe d'Anjou

Abstract

Philosophy has historically remained peripheral in design discourse – and vice versa – but recent decades have seen growing interdisciplinary engagement. This engagement, however, often relies on narrow conceptual frameworks shaped within North Atlantic and Anglophone traditions, which marginalize certain regions, language communities, and intellectual lineages. Yet design has always been embedded in culturally specific practices and worldviews. Increasingly, researchers are questioning design’s dominant – often colonial, anthropocentric, and patriarchal – underpinnings, as well as its disciplinary boundaries, recognizing that other perspectives are highly relevant.

This track seeks to amplify a greater plurality of voices in design philosophy, especially from diverse geographies and disciplines, to explore how cultural, historical, and material contexts can shape its future. We welcome proposals that:

• Show how contemporary researchers from underrepresented regions and/or perspectives contribute to current debates in design philosophy.

• Identify key developments in design philosophy across different countries and language communities, and how they compare or intersect.

• Highlight overlooked works – by philosophers or otherwise – that offer valuable insights for advancing design philosophy today.

• Use case studies from unrecognized design practices to critique and propose alternatives to dominant ontologies, epistemologies, or ethics.

By embracing diversity, we aim to challenge prevailing assumptions about what design is and what design philosophy can be, fostering a richer and more inclusive field. Rather than defining boundaries, by ‘amplifying the unheard’ we seek to expand them, creating space for reflection, new genealogies, and alternative futures for deeper interpenetration of philosophy and design.

Keywords

Critical Design, Decolonial Design, Ontological Design, Philosophy of Design, Pluriversal Design

References

Buchanan, R., & Margolin, V. (Eds.). (1995). Discovering design: Explorations in design studies. University of Chicago Press.

Escobar, A. (2018). Designs for the pluriverse: Radical interdependence, autonomy, and the making of worlds. Duke University Press.

Flusser, V. (1999). The shape of things: A philosophy of design. Reaktion Books.

Maldonado, T. (2019). Design, nature, & revolution: Toward a critical ecology (2nd ed.; Original work published 1972). University of Minnesota Press.

Willis, A.-M. (Ed.). (2019). The design philosophy reader. Bloomsbury Visual Arts.