Ecology of the Image

We know very little about the ecology of our
designed world. Contrary to all appearances, design
is not about making objects. Rather, it is about
structuring the conditions for life. Design is our
second nature, naturalising changes in our ways of
living. Yet it also conceals dangers and diminishes
our sensitivity to respond to them. Ecology of the
Image is a critical exploration of idealism in
design. Drawing on hermeneutic phenomenology, the
philosophy of technology, socio-cultural and design
theory, it argues that design is not a value-free
practice but structures epistemological attitudes
into the world. Ideas are material elements of our
environments. This thesis offers an explanation of
how idealism circulates within our worlds,
fashioning our minds, bodies, environments and
products. It argues that current ecological
imperatives demand an ecological understanding of
our designed worlds that can explicitly inform
future design research and practice.

Autorentext

Dr Abby Lopes is a Lecturer in Design Theory in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Sydney and has a background in design and cultural theory. Her primary research interest is in design for sustainability, which was nurtured whilst working at the EcoDesign Foundation from 1996 to 2004.

Klappentext

We know very little about the ecology of our designed world. Contrary to all appearances, design is not about making objects. Rather, it is about structuring the conditions for life. Design is our second nature, naturalising changes in our ways of living. Yet it also conceals dangers and diminishes our sensitivity to respond to them. Ecology of the Image is a critical exploration of idealism in design. Drawing on hermeneutic phenomenology, the philosophy of technology, socio-cultural and design theory, it argues that design is not a value-free practice but structures epistemological attitudes into the world. Ideas are material elements of our environments. This thesis offers an explanation of how idealism circulates within our worlds, fashioning our minds, bodies, environments and products. It argues that current ecological imperatives demand an ecological understanding of our designed worlds that can explicitly inform future design research and practice.