DESIGN FOR COMPLEXITY: plural perspectives on systems ambiguity

UNFOLD

As part of the Domus Academy UNFOLD Exhibition, a Roundtable discussion will be held on April 18th to explore tangible solutions for understanding and overcoming the complexities of our time through design. 4 international experts will bring their expertise and point of view on this topic during the roundtable.

GUEST SPEAKERS

Silvio Lorusso

Silvio Lorusso’s work focuses on the cultures and rhetorical regimes embedded in techno-social systems. His practice combines various media such as video, website, artist’s book, installation, lecture. This activity is further stimulated by writing essays, curating exhibitions and organizing public programs. He published Entreprecariat (Onomatopee) in 2018 and What Design Can’t Do (Set Margins’) in 2023. Currently, Silvio Lorusso is an assistant professor and co-director of the Center for Other Worlds of the Lusófona University in Lisbon, and a tutor at the Information Design department of Design Academy Eindhoven. He has been a member of Varia, the Center for Everyday Technology, as well as part of the editorial board of Italian graphic design magazine Progetto Grafico. His work has been presented at, among other venues, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam; MaXXI, Rome; Transmediale, Berlin; The Photographers’ Gallery, London; Kunsthalle Wien. His writing has appeared in several magazines and publications, including Volume, Real Life Magazine, Not, Modes of Criticism
Read more about Silvio Lorusso

Allison Rowe

A strategic design leader with over a decade of experience guiding design, product and innovation teams. Allison catalyses new futures — building services, systems and businesses that transport us towards a happier and healthier world. Excited about nurturing inclusive teams and using emerging technologies for social and planetary good.Until its recent closure, Allison led the Research & Design practice at SPACE10, pursuing a more equitable and regenerative future for people and planet.
She consults as Outout Studio, helping diverse founders launch purpose-driven initiatives and partners with people doing interesting things — most recently Under Your Internet, a playful educational experience to help young people explore alternative models for data stewardship (backed by a Mozilla Creative Media Award).Before this, Allison built new digital ventures with McKinsey & Company, led an innovation team working on mixed reality at Microsoft, developed medical devices for pediatric surgery, managed the global rollout of healthcare software and supported a hardware startup making sex toys for women.
Read more about Allison Rowe

Georgina Voss

Georgina Voss is a writer, artist, and educator, who works in performance, visual media, and multi-media installation.Her performance and installation work has been commissioned and shown at galleries and institutions including transmediale, TAC Eindhoven, The Design Museum, Auto-Italia South East, Rainbow’s End Festival (Utrecht), Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum, London Design Festival, STUK (Leuven), Rainbow’s End Festival (Utrecht), Brighton Digital Festival, Vienna Biennale, Akademie Schloss Soltitude, Deutsches TechnikMuseum (Berlin), and more. She has been awarded artist residencies including Vilem Flusser Artistic Research Residency, Autodesk Pier 9 Artist Residency, Lighthouse Arts, RAMLAB: Port of Rotterdam, and Somerset House Studios. She is author of ‘Systems Ultra: Making Sense of Technology in a Complex World’ (Verso 2024). Georgina's writing has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Atlantic, Harvard Design Magazine, HOLO Magazine, and Branch; and in journals including Modes of Criticism, Sexualities, Science as Culture, Journal of Homosexuality, and Journal of Economic Geography. She originally trained in industrial economics and science policy – although her work is very different now, she continues to do work around the ways in which technology, politics, and culture mash up against each other. Georgina co-founded and led the creative studios, Supra Systems Studio and Strange Telemetry, and was previously Research Manager for creative technology studio, *Tinker London*. She is currently Reader (Associate Professor) at London College of Communication, UAL with embedded teaching on MA Interaction Design; and has held previous positions with Goldsmiths, Royal College of Art, University of Southern California, The New School, and NYU. She holds a PhD and MSc from the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex, and an MBiochem in Biochemistry with History and Philosophy of Science from Oxford University.

Matt Webb

Matt has collaborated with some of the world’s largest firms on design-led product invention using new technology for over 20 years. He was MD of two London startup accelerators with R/GA Ventures, and co-founder and CEO of pioneering design studio BERG, where they shipped connected products and got work into the New York MoMA.
Over 2020—2022, as a consultant, Matt was part of the editorial team on an internal publication with the Google AI group, bridging the research and product organisations.
More… He co-wrote Mind Hacks (Amazon/Amazon UK) which has been translated into seven languages. Way back when, in 2004, Matt set up the BBC’s first podcast — the first national broadcaster to do so. His name is on three issued patents (six filed). He built an internet-connected vending machine to sell books. From time to time he gives talks.