„Go home and take care of the bees“, a wise old man once said when asked what to do next. To give and receive care is an existential human condition and a necessity for our subsistence. Care is as central for a good life for all human beings as it is a productive lens for querying routes and possibilities to act as designer-practitioners in the context of the eco-social transformation. In this conversation, we will approach the relationship of care and transformation design as a prism and explore different facets of it: What does one have to do with the other? What do we care about when we design? How do we care about things we do not know? How much can we care (about)? And who cares for us?

What do we care about when we design? 

How do we care about things we do not know? 

How much can we care (about)? And who cares for us?

Bio

Andrea Vetter

born in 1981, works for a socio-ecological transformation as transformation researcher, author and speaker. Since 2020 teaching in the Transformation Design program at HBK Braunschweig. 2011-2018 PhD, Faculty for Philosophy, Humboldt Universität Berlin. Author of many articles and books, e.g. “Degrowth/Postwachstum zur Einführung” (Junius, 2019), „Konviviale Technik. Empirische Technikethik für eine Postwachstumsgesellschaft“ (transcript, forthcoming 2021) and „Degrowth. Pathways to Post-Capitalism“ (Verso, forthcoming 2021). Since 2009 co-organization and curation of  diverse activist and scientist conferences, festivals, workshops and summer schools about degrowth, feminism, care and gift economy. 2017-19 speaker for Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie (Leipzig). Since 2017 editor of the popular magazine “Oya”. Co-founder of the queer feminist and international rural culture hub „Haus des Wandels“ in Ostbrandenburg, east of Berlin. Member of „Netzwerk Vorsorgendes Wirtschaften“. Mother of one, living in and between communities of change. 

Andreas Unteidig

born in 1981, works at the intersections of design, technology, and processes of societal transformation. Currently co-directing the MA »Transformation Design« at HBK Braunschweig where he teaches Design Studies. Since 2018 senior researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society (research group “Inequality and digital sovereignty”). 2013-2018 Dr. Phil., Berlin University of the Arts (»Vom Werk zum Werkzeug: Zur Rolle des Designs im Kontext politischen Handelns«) following studies at KISD, Cologne & Parsons, New York. Design Research Lead in various applied and academic projects, e.g. »MAZI – DIY Networking« (EU Horizon 2020). Author and editor, e.g. »Design as Research – Positions, Arguments, Perspectives« (Birkhäuser, 2016) and »Practicing Sovereignty – Means of digital involvement« (Transcript, forthcoming 2021). 

recommended readings or other media
  • Herbert Simon: Designing the evolving artifact (Ch. 6 in “The Sciences of the Artificial”)