Design Activism. Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World

Design activists, who comprise a diverse range of designers, teachers and other actors, are setting new ambitions for design. They seek to fundamentally challenge how, where and when design can catalyse positive impacts to address sustainability. They are also challenging who can utilize the power of the design process. This book provides a rigorous exploration of design activism that will revitalise the design debate and provide a solid platform for students, teachers, design professionals and other practitioners interested in transformative (design) activism. It provides a comprehensive study of contemporary and emergent design activism, collating, synthesizing and analysing design activist approaches, processes, methods, tools and inspirational examples/outcomes from around the world.Inspired by past design activists and set against the context of global-local tensions, expressions of design activism are mapped. The nature of contemporary design activism is explored, from individual/collective action to the infrastructure that supports it generating powerful participatory design approaches, a diverse toolbox and inspirational outcomes. This is design as a political and social act, design to enable adaptive societal capacity for co-futuring. This title reveals the power of design and designers to effect positive social and environmental change. This is new from Alastair Fuad-Luke, sustainable design guru and author of "The Eco-Design Handbook". It presents a rigorous exploration of design activism, with examples, methods and tools from around the world. It offers an attractive, full-colour addition to the successful Earthscan sustainable design book list.