Unpleasant Design

When and Where

Location: Studio, Weise7, Weisestraße 7, Neukölln 12049, Berlin

Date: Tue-Nov 12 2013

Time: 11-17.00h

Cost: 20euros  per person

Workshop Leader:  Selena Savic and Nikola Korać

Registration necessary: subscribe/unpleasant

Materials: All materials will be provided

Skills: No special skills necessary

Unpleasant Design is a phenomenon in which social control is inherent in the design of objects and spaces. Park benches with a central armrest where one cannot sleep, blue light in public toilets which makes intravenous injection impossible, are just a few common features we regularly encounter in public spaces. In recent years, unpleasant design has become a global fashion with many examples to be found across cities worldwide.

Designing “unpleasant design” is an intricate process. At the Unpleasant Design workshop, participants use persuasive and coercive design techniques to invent a design which targets a specific group, behaviour or product. Particular attention will be paid to technologies, which enable discrimination and the role of pervasive technology in urban spaces. Participants will actively explore this change through the application of unpleasant design.

Unpleasant Design is created in partnership with Studio Weise7 as part of Urban Knights, Berlin 2013

Date of publication

Mon 13 Jan 2014