Social Design: Care & Share

theoretical part: master thesis — 2023

For my master's thesis, I collaborated with a non-profit organization that consists of a secondhand boutique, which is open to all citizens, as well as a food market for people with little income. On the one hand, I did graphical tasks, but on the other hand, I also explored in the theoretical part of the project which roles “caring” and “sharing” play within the design process.

You can see the practical part here.

An interesting conclusion was that designers are acting as relay runners in the communication process. They take over coded messages, decode them, encode them again, and bring them further to the destination. During this process, designers have the task of encouraging stakeholders to reveal their tacit knowledge. Additionally, by creating iteratively and taking into account the principles of Inclusive Design, they can make sure that design builds bridges, not barriers. 

Social Design:
A new/old approach to design

On account of sharing information about sustainability, it turned out that certain principles, for example, the emphasis on the here and now as well as the focus on small steps and social structures, can improve communication. Moreover, designers can care about the environment by weighing up how much value elements in print and digital bring in comparison to their energy consumption.

It is noticeable that every social design project engages with a specific societal topic. I focused on our relationship to fast fashion.

© KLARA HIRSCHBÜCHLER 2024