Design with Others
This week was about interacting with people whose practices are refreshingly different from what I had ever seen before. It was a week where a lot of my fundamental beliefs were questioned.
Faculty : Laura Benitez
Day 1 : Dr. Marta Delatte
On the first day, Dr. Marta Delatte was invited to give a guest lecture for the class, where she introduced a complex discussion about design justice. From simple things like emojis, for example, simplify communication but fail to represent cultural diversity adequately, while Wikipedia highlights issues of representation, with 90% of contributors identifying as male, leading to gender-biased content.
She discussed the issues with data extraction, emphasizing how it simplifies complex identities into mere data points, creating a systematic approach that claims to define populations, cultures, or individuals. This process often ends up reinforcing existing power imbalances. She argued that accountability shouldn't be an afterthought at the end of the design process but should be integrated throughout, ensuring that the voices of those most affected are genuinely heard and considered.
Through the discussion, I was trying to understand to what extent does 'inclusivity' be emphasized? The topics we dealt with area like an endless unravelling of details which require new found attention to a point of madness. When we discuss things like inclusivity, another thing that comes with it is offense. In a world thats just waiting to be offended, how do we navigate the delicacy of people's identities and foster an environment that's truly just?
Dr. Delatte then introduced the idea of the Matrix of Domination, a framework developed by Patricia Hill Collins for examining oppression and privilege in a wholistic way.
Structural Domain
Represents power embedded in institutions (law, politics, religion, and economics).
Disciplinary Domain
Focuses on bureaucratic control mechanisms, including rules and regulations that dictate behavior.
Hegemonic Domain
Relates to cultural ideologies and norms, shaping how people think about societal values.
Interpersonal Domain
Examines personal relationships and micro-level interactions that reflect broader power structures.
We then did a group exercise, where we used this framework to address an issue that we had identified and discussed it with others in class.
Day 2 : Eemeemee
On the next day, the morning started with a lecture from Laura about identities and the interplay of identity and otherness. We discussed about what it means to impose identities depending on the context, which most of the times reinforces societal hierarchies. We analyzed how intersecting systems of discrimination—such as gender, class, and race—shape experiences, while queer theory challenged rigid identity categories. Paul Preciado’s Countersexual Manifesto called for redefining identity beyond societal constraints, emphasizing that the key question is not who we are, but how we can achieve freedom
In the second half, we had the opportunity to visit L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to interact with the collective Eemeemee. There, we met Óscar Martín and Marzia Matarese, who presented some of their current projects. Marzia discussed her work with fungi and her efforts to align her life and design practice with her values, seeking to engage with mycelium as a collaborator rather than merely a material or tool. Oscar's work with slime molds demonstrated their capacity to create complex systems and solve problems, offering inspiration for bio-inspired design.
Day 3 : Mutan Monkey
The day started with a nice long metro ride to Horta, a lovely quaint neighbourhood. We visited Mutan Monkey, and interacted with members of a non profit who organize music events. Laura delivered a lecture at Mutan Monkey on Agency Situated Epistemology, proposing that fiction—beyond just literature—can serve as a powerful tool for imagining possible futures and reshaping the present. This connected well with our discussions on Design Fiction during Extended Intelligences, though Laura expanded the concept further. She argued that we all exist within fictions shaped by social narratives, which often go unrecognized as such. These pervasive fictions structure our lives in ways that can be deeply harmful, yet we rarely question their validity.
They explained to us the way that their practice works and showed us around their amazing music studio. We had a really insightful discussion about the challenges of running an alternative practice in a capitalist society, the motivation needed to resist the societal pressures, and the dedication needed to keep such a practice running.
It was very inspiring to hear about their experiences and I am sure its going to stay with me when I get back to my own design practice after this masters. It was refreshing and the energy of being a collective was contagious.
Day 4 : Arnau Sala
The final lecture of this week-long seminar featured presentations by Arnau Sala and another talk by Laura.The session centered on shifting from otherness to togetherness, highlighting collective interdependence over individualism. Projects like TransPlant illustrated how technology, such as NFC chips, could be repurposed to subvert control systems, resonating with Karen Barad’s concept of intra-action, where relationships actively transform those involved.
Arnau’s discussion on degrowth, mutual aid, and shifting perspectives was both thought-provoking and inspiring, yet also overwhelming in its depth. Like much of the program, his talk was filled with references to other projects, books, articles, documentaries, and artists to explore. He also touched on the struggles of creative work, particularly how overanalyzing potential consequences can lead to creative blockages and hinder progress. His insights encouraged a more fluid and adaptive approach to both artistic practice and broader systemic change.
These discussions raised fundamental questions about sustainability: Who really benefits from this work? Are the relationships formed based on mutual reciprocity, or are they extractive in nature? Arnau also shared his own personal boundaries, such as his choice to stop flying, highlighting the delicate balance between maintaining ethical principles and preserving personal well-being while striving for genuine sustainability
Last updated
