Theorie und Geschichte des Design 1

Anna Nagele
Design, Theory and History of Design
2025W, Proseminar (PS), 3.0 ECTS, 2.0 semester hours, course number S04723

Description

Designing Plural Futures: Tools, Strategies, and Critical Perspectives

Design is often seen as a forward-looking discipline—imagining what’s next and shaping innovation. In the context of global crises such as climate change, political polarisation, and rising inequality, this proseminar invites students to critically examine whose futures are being envisioned and designed, and whose are marginalised in the process. We explore design’s dual role in reinforcing existing power structures and as a tool for empowerment and transformation. Through theoretical frameworks and case studies, we engage with concepts such as speculative design, the pluriverse, feminist technoscience, and defuturing, and discuss approaches like design anthropology and participatory design.

The seminar emphasises understanding futures not as fixed destinations but as spaces of possibility—shaped by hopes, fears, and diverse cultural ways of knowing. In this proseminar we critically engage with tools and methodologies used by designers to imagine and co-create inclusive, plural futures, while questioning the assumptions that underlie the dominant narratives of progress and innovation.

Examination Modalities

The following criteria are used to determine successful completion of the course: 

  • Regular and punctual attendance (at least 80% of all sessions) & active participation in discussions and workshops with well-considered comments and questions on the texts and topics (30% of the grade)

  • Independent research on a self-chosen topic and presentation of the results as an audio, video, or image collage (30% of the grade)

  • Theoretically supported reflection (1000 words +/-10%) + list of references due by February 3, 2026 (40% of the grade)

This course is conducted in German. Presentations and written assignments may be given or submitted in either German or English.

Comments

Language: German

Key Words

Zukunft, Futures, Innovation, Inequality, Design Justice, Empowerment, Transformation, Narrative, design

Dates

14 October 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
28 October 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
11 November 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
25 November 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
09 December 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
16 December 2025, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 31
13 January 2026, 14:30–17:00 Seminar Room 33

Course Enrolment

From 01 September 2025, 09:00 to 13 October 2025, 09:00
Via online registration

Art Education: subject kkp (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80

Art Education: subject kkp (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80

Art Education: subject dex (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: aus Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur bzw. des Design (wahlweise) 074/003.20

Art Education: subject dex (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80

Art Education: subject dex (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80

TransArts - Transdisciplinary Arts (Bachelor): Theoretical foundations: Theoretical foundations 180/003.01

Expanded Museum Studies (Master): Electives: Design History and Theory 537/080.24

Design: Specialisation in Communication Design (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Theory and History of Design 577/203.08

Industrial Design (2. Section): Design in Context: Theory and Design History 580/202.11

Design: Specialisation in Fashion Design (2. Section): Fashion in Context: Theory and History of Design 584/208.01

Fine Arts (2. Section): Scientific and Research Practice: Media Theory,Art&Knowledge Transfer,Th. of Architecture,Th. and Hist. of Design 605/202.02

Fine Arts (2. Section): Scientific and Research Practice: Free Electives out of Scientific and Research Practice 605/202.80

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (1. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Art and Design History 626/103.02

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Humanities 626/203.02

Co-registration: possible

Attending individual courses: possible