The Agency of Discursive Design Exists in the Industrial

Abstract

Can there be a closer collaboration between academic design and the industrial world? This paper outlines common territory between Discursive Design and industrial market forces and proposes a partnership for a more sustainable future. In contrast to the commercial product, I advocate for the Twenty-First Century Activist Discursive Object. This object acts as a catalyst for change, rejecting the antiquated model of the designer aspiring to create a perfect aesthetic in favor of a collaborative, team-based multidisciplinary practice where comprehensive solutions are offered to the global commons. This paper envisions a future where intellectual criticality is capable of positively influencing practices that exacerbate societal and environmental ills, thus proposing a more sustainable future. As ideas generated in Discursive Design grow and become integrated into commercial culture, their positive effects will become palpable, and the status quo will transition into a friendlier, more sustainable reality.