The project “Commons in Design” (2019–2023), funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, deals with the concept of design in the context of digitalization and the resulting change of the role of designers. Technological advances have enabled new paradigms of work organization (e.g. co-working), new professional communities and identities (e.g. maker culture), and empowered frameworks for co-creation, co-design, and the sharing of design knowledge and products. Current research directions focus on issues of sustainable products and services, design processes, and forms of collaboration.
In our conference, we aim to explore the relevance of commons and commoning within design as a discipline and field of research. It aims to shed light on the complexity of commons and commoning from a design perspective and to present future models and scenarios pointing towards a more sustainable, just, and peaceful world. Central to this is the question of how principles of commoning can benefit design processes, methods, and ways of working, ultimately changing the way designers position themselves.
We invite proposals for full papers, short papers/case studies, or workshops related to the conference theme. Anybody related to the field of design and/or the commons is welcome to submit, from designers to academics, practitioners, theorists, critics, teachers, and students, as long as your outline strongly challenges our themes.