118 Theories of Design(ing)

Theories normally seek to explain something. 118 Theories of Design[ing] asks us to question those explanations. By focusing on a broad range of somewhat overlooked and undervalued essays, papers, book articles, words, terms, authors and phenomena that swirl around design[ing], the reader is encouraged to read, reflect and question everything.

This original book will appeal to a global market of university faculty heads and deans, museum directors, design educators, design researchers, key design practitioners, publishers, members of the design media, and undergraduate, postgraduate and post-doctoral students of design.

About the Authors

Foreword
Rachel Cooper

Introduction
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner

118 Theories of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#01 A Luxurious Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#02 A Duplicate Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#03 An Affordable Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#04 A Possible Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#05 A Disruptive Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#06 An Undisciplined Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#07 A Future Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#08 A Cheap Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#09 An Imperfect Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#10 A Humble Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#11 A Derived Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#12 A Cosmological Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#13 An Ultimate Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#14 A Utopian Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#15 A Rural Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#16 A Romantic Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#17 A Radical Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#18 A Transitive Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#19 An Unknown Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#20 An Automated Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#21 A Repairable Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#22 A Business Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#23 A Responsive Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#24 A Sharing Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#25 A Climatic Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#26 A Misfit Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#27 An Anonymous Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#28 A Comfortable Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#29 A Paradoxical Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#30 A Matriarchal Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#31 A Dangerous Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#32 A Jealous Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#33 A Mongrel Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#34 A Tired Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#35 A Winning Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#36 A Zombie Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#37 A Swatchification Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#38 An Anti-Design Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#39 A False Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#40 A Sentimental Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#41 A Fantastic Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#42 A Plastic Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#43 A Green Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#44 A Dark Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#45 A Grey Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#46 A FabLab Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#47 A Barbaric Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#48 An Exaggerated Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#49 A Pornographic Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#50 A Curious Theory of Design[ing]
Constantin Boym
#51 A Learning Theory of Design[ing]
Maya Dvash
#52 A Theoretical Theory of Design[ing]
Chiara Alessi
#53 A Practical Theory of Design[ing]
Chiara Alessi
#54 Against a Theory of Design[ing]
Chiara Alessi
#55 A Data Theory of Design[ing]
Will Holman
#56 A Justified Theory of Design[ing]
Clive Dilnot
#57 A Mature Theory of Design[ing]
Clive Dilnot
#58 A Political Theory of Design[ing]
Clive Dilnot
#59 A Circumstantial Theory of Design[ing]
Clive Dilnot
#60 A Power Theory of Design[ing]
Marco Petroni
#61 An Educational Theory of Design[ing]
Marco Petroni
#62 An Evolutionary Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#63 An Uncertain Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#64 A Pessimistic Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#65 A Thoughtless Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#66 An Anthropocentric Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#67 An Anecdotal Theory of Design[ing] (or a theory about design theories)
Mark Roxburgh
#68 A Jugaad Theory of Design[ing]
Saurabh Tewari
#69 A Gandhian Theory of Design[ing]
Saurabh Tewari
#70 A Rasa Theory of Design[ing]
Saurabh Tewari
#71 A Pluralistically Confusing Theory of Design[ing]
Paul Rodgers & Craig Bremner
#72 An Anti-Design Thinking Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#73 A Bipolar Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#74 A Pride Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#75 A Studio-based Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#76 An Inclusive Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#77 An Inflation of Design Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#78 An Idealist Theory of Design[ing]
Jonathan Ventura & Dina Shahar
#79 An Irrelevant Theory of Design[ing]
Joyce Yee
#80 An Everything and Nothing Theory of Design[ing]
Mashal Khan
#81 An Immersive Theory of Design[ing]
James Fathers
#82 A Failing Forward Theory of Design[ing]
James Fathers
#83 A Tuning Theory of Design[ing]
Heather Wiltse
#84 A Ludic Theory of Design[ing]
Emmanuel Tsekleves
#85 A Speculative Theory of Design[ing]
Emmanuel Tsekleves
#86 A Global Health Theory of Design[ing]
Emmanuel Tsekleves
#87 A Constructivist Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#88 A Caring Theory of Design[ing]
Jen Archer-Martin
#89 A More-than-Human(ist) Theory of Design[ing]
Jen Archer-Martin
#90 A Non-Cartesian Theory of Design[ing]
Peter Lloyd Jones
#91 An Early Learning Theory of Design[ing]
Peter Lloyd Jones
#92 A Scientific Theory of Design[ing]
Peter Lloyd Jones
#93 A Catastrophic Theory of Design[ing]
Peter Lloyd Jones
#94 A Disempowering Theory of Design[ing]
Heather Wiltse
#95 A Fictional Theory of Design[ing]
Craig Bremner
#96 An Excessive Theory of Design[ing]
Mark Roxburgh
#97 A Management Theory of Design[ing]
Rachel Cooper
#98 A Design Thinking Theory of Design[ing]
Rachel Cooper
#99 A Messy Theory of Design[ing]
Stephanie Carleklev
#100 A Careful Theory of Design[ing]
Stephanie Carleklev
#101 An Agile Theory of Design[ing]
Stephanie Carleklev
#102 A Ludic Theory of Design[ing]
Cathy Treadaway
#103 A SMART Theory of Design[ing]
Delfina Fantini van Ditmar
#104 A 1.5°C Theory of Design[ing]
Delfina Fantini van Ditmar
#105 A Cultural Generational Communal Iterative Generative Collaborative Relational Theory of Design[ing]
Danièle Hromek (Budawang/Yuin) & Jacqueline Gothe
#106 A Plurality Theory of Design[ing]
Nelly Ben Hayoun
#107 A Designer-as-Mythologist Theory of Design[ing]
Nelly Ben Hayoun
#108 An Ontological Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#109 A Materials’ History Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#110 A Communal Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#111 An Autonomous Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#112 A Pluriversal Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#113 A Post-Economic Theory of Design[ing]
Arturo Escobar
#114 An Of the South(s) Theory of Design[ing]
Alfredo Gutiérrez-Borrero
#115 An Indigenous Theory of Design[ing]
Alfredo Gutiérrez-Borrero
#116 A Declassified Theory of Design[ing]
Alfredo Gutiérrez-Borrero
#117 A Gendered Theory of Design[ing]
Elaine Igoe
#118 A Better Theory of Design[ing]
Craig Bremner & Paul Rodgers

Acknowledgements
Contributor Biographies
Index

Paul A. Rodgers is Professor of Design at the University of Strathclyde. He is also the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) Design Leadership Fellow (2017 – 2020). He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in design from Middlesex University, London and a PhD in product design assessment from the University of Westminster, London. He has published extensively in all of the major design journals and design conferences. He is the author of 9 books including The Routledge Companion to Design Research (Routledge, Oxon, 2015). Professor Rodgers is an Editorial Board Member of the Design Studies journal and an Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation. He is a founding member of the Design Disruption Group who strive for positive change in health and social care and elsewhere.

Craig Bremner is Professor of Design at Charles Sturt University. For some time he was also Professor of Design at the University of Southern Denmark. Prior to this joint position he was Professor in Design Pedagogy at Northumbria University UK, and Professor of Design at the University of Canberra, where he was also Dean of the Faculty of Design & Architecture. His research deals with developing methods to discover how and why we don’t know much about the idea of design, as well as finding ways to clarify the reason why “not-knowing” is an essential and valuable beginning point of practice.