The Design Experience: The Role of Design and Designers in the Twenty-First Century

This is a book about the changing nature of design - and in particular the changing roles of designers - at the start of the 21st century. The ideas that underpin this book are three-fold: first, self-definition is not a particularly strong point of the design community, indeed, what designers say often runs contrary to what they do; second, designers often contrain their ambitions and so limit their potential contribution to society; and third, the world is changing at an ever-increasing rate - understanding this and developing strategies for it is essential for all of us. This book aims to be a map - we identify various features on the landscape of contemporary design, then how we use this information - that is, the personal routes you travel - is up to you. This book identifies the designer as a maker, but also as someone who makes meaning possible, and such, a maker of culture. The designer also decides what a designer is. A combination then of craft-maker, cultural intermediary and opportunistic entrepreneur, the designer has a fluid, yet pivotal role in contemporary socirty.