Post-Design: Finding beauty in the invisible and the changing role of the designer

Our roles as designers are dependent on language. We rely on verbal, visual, and temporal languages in order to communicate our work. As our jobs become more than just “design"—from choreographers of natural interfaces to policy makers—there is an inherent conflict with what it means to “practice design.” We are defining ourselves (and being defined) by a term that is overextended. How should we refer to ourselves, and what should the world make of us?

With a new period of design dawning, previous notions of strategy and craft are blurring. We have been given permission to do meaningful work; at this prime moment we must clarify ourselves to establish the continuous integrity of our field. We must articulate the difference between practicing responsible design and simply making.

Through stories of what “design” has come to mean in her work, Lauren Serota will share her thoughts, followed by a conversation on how we can make the future of our industry.

About Lauren

Lauren Serota leads global research, strategy and design projects both independently and with Studio D Radiodurans. She is a member of the founding faculty at the Austin Center for Design. Independently, as well as through past work with companies such as Lextant and frog she has worked with a volume of commercial, government and non-profit clients. Her expertise includes design research, social innovation, and interaction design for physical, service-based and interactive products.

Lauren will speak as part of "In the Loop", a lecture series on design, innovation and entrepreneurship organized by IIT Institute of Design faculty. The series engages a wide range of speakers that present on topics ranging from theoretical research and emerging methodologies that are relevant to the field of design as well as personal narratives and examples from current design practice.