Blame theories and design practices, criticise political economy, subvert the status quo. Keep designing.

What lies ahead when there is no [design] future.

What lies ahead when there is no [design] future.

Marco Versfeld critically examines Too Late to Awaken by Slavoj Žižek and Libidinal Economy by Jean-François Lyotard, comparing their theoretical insights on desire, ideology, and systemic transformation. It contrasts these perspectives with Matthew Wizinsky's Design after Capitalism, which advocates for post-capitalist design practices as a response to capitalism's crises. Marco critiques Wizinsky's framework for overlooking the libidinal economy and the persistence of human drives, highlighting how post-capitalist systems might reproduce the same dynamics of commodification and fetishism they seek to dismantle. Ultimately, Marco argues for integrating insights from Žižek and Lyotard into post-capitalist design to address both material and libidinal dimensions of systemic change.

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Is Post-Capitalist Design Anarchist?

Is Post-Capitalist Design Anarchist?

Peter Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (1902) stands as a cornerstone of anarchist thought, championing cooperation as a force underpinning both evolution and society. While Kropotkin’s anarchism is explicit, contemporary frameworks like Matthew Wizinsky’s post-capitalist design (PCD) operate within a seemingly non-political discourse of critical and speculative design, yet their principles resonate strongly with anarchist ideals.

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