^{Marshall McLuhan, Early Distant Warning Deck (1969)}

PARTICIPANTS

Christian Ulrik Andersen
Katriona Beales
Kai Bernau
Jason Chao
Michael Dieter
Florian Hadler
Søren Bro Pold
Daniel Powers
Tatiana Seitz
Winnie Soon
Nathaniel Tkacz

Card decks are used across many contemporary design contexts as a way to generate creative thinking and problem-solving. They are thought to aid in lateral thinking and are increasingly used to aid product innovation in commercial settings. From the method cards of creative agencies like IDEO to the development of decks within digitally-focused branches of government - such as 18F in the United States - these card-systems have found a role as user-focused design thinking and have been drawn upon to address a wide array of issues or problems. What does the spread of these techniques tell us about the infusion of software-related practices (such as 'lean' or 'agile' methods) and new paradigms of behavioural design within institutional contexts? And what are the capacities of such decks for developing reflexive thinking and even forms of critique?

In this workshop we seek to explore the creative dimensions of card decks as a design method, but equally encourage a reflection upon and interrogation of contemporary design practices and related contexts in which such decks are put to work. In doing so, we seek to connect with recent debates on interface criticism and critique to reflect historically and materially on the configurations of these decks today. In addition, the workshop will aim to prototype critical decks by considering what new ensembles can be brought together through by adapting such formats, and what experimental approaches to collective equipment and infrastructure - social, technical and cultural - these kinds of materials might inspire.

If you would like to participate in this two day event, please sign up below.