Ruben Pater

How capitalism and design are intertwined and what alternatives exist?

Capitalism could not exist without the coins, notes, documents, graphics, interfaces, branding and advertisements. Even anti-consumerist strategies such as social design and speculative design are being appropriated within capitalist societies to serve economic growth. It seems that design is locked in a system of exploitation and profit, a cycle that fosters inequality and the depletion of natural resources.

How does the education and professional practice of (graphic) designers support the market economy and how is design practice caught within that very system? How can we design for degrowth rather than for corporate profits? We will look at examples of radical design collectives, that work towards alternatives between design, community and reciprocity.

Under the name Untold Stories, Ruben Pater creates visual narratives that support solidarity, justice, and equality. This starts as a collaboration with other disciplines to create new perspectives on complex social and political issues. The aim is to create visual stories that reach a wide audience through images, printed media, interactive media, and film.

His "Drone Survival Guide" (2013) received worldwide attention as a discussion piece on military drones. In his book "The Politics of Design" (2016) he looks at the responsibilities of designers in visual culture. His last book "CAPS LOCK" (2021) is a reference work that uses clear language and visual examples to show how graphic design and capitalism have come to be inextricably linked.

The lecture will be in English.