Design, Ecology, Politics

by Joanna Boehnert (Author)

Design, Ecology, Politics links social and ecological theory to design theory and practice, critiquing the ways in which the design industry perpetuates unsustainable development.

Boehnert argues that when design does engage with issues of sustainability, this engagement remains shallow, due to the narrow basis of analysis in design education and theory. The situation is made more severe by design cultures which claim to be apolitical. Where design education fails to recognise the historical roots of unsustainable practice, it reproduces old errors. New ecologically informed design methods and tools hold promise only when incorporated into a larger project of political change. Design, Ecology, Politics describes how ecological literacy challenges many central assumptions in design theory and practice.

By bringing design, ecology and socio-political theory together, Boehnert describes how power is constructed, reproduced and obfuscated by design in ways which often cause environmental harms. She uses case studies to illustrate how communication design functions to either conceal or reveal the ecological and social impacts of current modes of production. The transformative potential of design is dependent on deep-reaching analysis of the problems design attempts to address. Ecologically literate and critically engaged design is a practice primed to facilitate the creation of viable, sustainable and just futures. With this approach, designers can make sustainability not only possible, but attractive.

Review
Joanna Boehnert's book shows in a masterful manner that there are no technological, ideological or other easy fixes to the contradiction between capitalism and nature. She powerfully makes the point that we need political design in order to create a better world. A must-read for everyone interested in design, ecology, communication and politics. * Christian Fuchs, Professor of Social Media at the University of Westminster, UK * Dr Boehnert envisions a possible, eco-ethical praxis sufficient to the urgency of the Ecocene era. With inspirational tempo, she sweeps across and connects the significant ideas that advance design eco-literacy, decolonizing and replacing outmoded discourses with powerful fresh starts. * Peter Jones, Co-founder of the Systemic Design Research Network at OCAD University, Canada * Design, Ecology, Politics is a powerful contribution. It is a thoroughly innovative, provocative and confrontational approach to pressing twenty-first century challenges at the human-environment interface. Joanna Boehnert has produced a compelling book which expands our considerations of design and ecological literacy in the complex socio-economic systems where we find 'home'. I enthusiastically recommend this work to those interested in charting productive and sustainable pathways through today's ecological, social and cultural challenges. * Maxwell Boykoff, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder, USA * Design, Ecology, Politics commands design educators to ground their practice in critically engaged ecological literacy. Boehnert's deeply textured and carefully crafted clarion call should be read by all who design on our earth. And it is a must for current and future planners. * Christopher Silver, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida, USA * In this work, Dr Joanna Boehnert examines foundational elements of human perception and design, beautifully integrating situated knowledge into the complex systems in which it exists, offering insights both relevant and practicable. * Mara Averick, Research Analyst at the Economic Development Assistance Consortium, USA * At last, a book that clearly locates design for sustainability within a sophisticated account of contemporary political economy. To affect the transition toward more sustainable futures, we urgently need the lucid negotiation of social complexity that this book provides. * Cameron Tonkinwise, Director of Design Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, USA *

About the Author
Joanna Boehnert is Research Fellow at the Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) at the University of Surrey, UK