An Expanded Concept of Design

Design changes the existing world and is an elementary tool for shaping the environment and society. It can be used to expand the possibilities of human agency and decision-making and to envision alternative futures together. Based on an expanded design approach that is socially and ecologically involved and includes both analogue and digital technologies, the objects in this collection appear more complex and comprehensive than a design collection would initially imply. They prompt thought processes for systemic change as well as production and consumption habits committed to sustainability. Key objects of the collection are those that also question their belonging to a design collection. Sometimes not even tangible as a physical object, they flirt with the historically established collection areas or open up entirely new perspectives due to their apparent distance to design.
 

Democracy and Society

How do we design the way we live together? How can housing, work, leisure, but also the idea of property and identity be conceived through the lens of design? The Design Collection represents objects and concepts dedicated to the social, political, and economic questions of the present. These are often interdisciplinary, participatory, and conceptual.
 

Technology and Ecology

The collection includes projects from the fields of product design, speculative design, social design, generative design, inclusive design, and circular design. It also conveys the idea of a more-than-human perspective on design. It explores ecologically motivated future perspectives that partly apply latest technologies to produce in a circular and resource-efficient way. This includes everyday objects made of unusual materials, projects that deal with reparability, renewable materials, or waste as a resource, and consequently a reappraisal of biodiversity including microorganisms and bacteria.
 

Digital Culture

The MAK has a long history of pioneering engagement with new technologies, which has developed since the 1990s in various exhibition and research projects. Since 2016, the Design Collection has extended its research into “Digital Culture.” In this context, digital technologies are seen as contemporary expressions of a changing understanding of culture. The focus lies on design strategies and projects that critically examine the data and resources underlying technologies. The collection also includes augmented reality and virtual reality experiences, born-digital projects, as well as AI-generated projects.