Design for Micro-Utopias: Making the Unthinkable Possible

Plato, Mill, Morris, Buckminster Fuller, Papanek: how far has the developed world progressed with its utopian ideals and what is the role of design in improving life and society?The act of designing raises ethical and philosophical questions about the aims and responsibilities of designers and manufacturers, and others involved in the lifecycle of designed objects. In Design for Micro-Utopias John Wood examines the agenda and scope of design, surveying utopian philosophies from Aristotle to the present day, western and eastern spiritual ideals, and scientific, biological and systems theories to gauge to what extent designers can contribute to the realisation of individual and social aspirations at a macro or micro level. Using case studies of a wide range of concepts and schemes, he evaluates the relative worth of recent design projects and visions, and suggests future design approaches that could offer ecologically sustainable and, at least, micro-utopian transformations of our consumerist information society.Design for Micro-Utopias digs deep into the question of what socially responsible and worthwhile design can really be and provides a thought-provoking and highly informative text for contextual design studies, design history, material culture, aesthetics and ethics. It challenges all designers to rethink the repercussions of their work.