It’s about time design students get to take a walk on the ‘dark side’ of design thinking. No? Starting this autumn, the undersigned (accompanied by her two alter egos), will hit the road with the critical design method developed as part of the doctoral thesis titled “Existential design – The ‘dark side’ of design thinking”.

In short, the method is presenting a way to think design: a method of designing with focus on ‘designials‘ (fundamental forms of design being). Through carrying out an (existential) designial analysis the designer will – above all – open up the design brief, hence bring to light and call into question perspectives that he or she seems to otherwise forget. This in turn will help the designer become aware of the complications that may occur if this way of considering the situation is neglected. Moreover, conducting such analysis allows the designer to build on the idea that design holds intentions, purpose, and aims giving concrete gestalt to certain ‘existentials‘ (fundamental forms of human being) – and so come closer to understanding what is existential design.

Such a way of approaching a product development process will not only question designers‘ assumptions and preconceived ideas about design-being per se – and ultimately stimulate them to bring about originality pertaining to the object, its use, and the surrounding environment – but the outcome, i.e. critical design examples will also invite other parts of society to reflect on alternative values and create awareness as to why things are as they are.

Tour dates:

Aalto University, School of Art and Design, Finland: 19th-21th Sept 2011

The Swedish School of Textiles, Sweden: 29th Sept 2011

The Danish Design School, Denmark: 10th-11th Oct 2011

Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway: 25th-28th Oct 2011

Umeå Institute of Design, Sweden: 19th-21th Dec 2011

Questions? Don’t hesitate, but send an e-mail to me: anne_britt.torkildsby@hb.se!