In what ways can designers help put political issues on the agenda? Laurens Kolks (Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences) investigated this in his dissertation. He studied a number of projects that creatively discuss air pollution. 'What interests me is precisely how designers can make something as intangible as air pollution tangible.'
In your dissertation, you connect sociology with design. What makes that an interesting combination for you?
'I had my own practice as a designer for many years and started studying Sociology to deepen my knowledge. This fascinated me so much that I wanted to obtain a doctorate. Where sociology and design meet is that they both want to shape the social environment and the way we live together. Many sociologists won’t believe in social engineering, but sociology did start with the idea that there are knobs to turn in society. Where sociologists, like myself, write thick books on this, designers dare to do so by making things that are very tangible. Sociologists, for their part, are good at figuring out context. This is very important for designs, because designers sometimes tend to flatten or reduce problems.'
What did you look at in your dissertation?
'For my dissertation, I looked at projects that try to engage audiences in innovative ways. One example is SerVies. These designers make tableware by scraping fine particles from noise barriers, among other things, and incorporating them into the glaze. They do this in such a way that you can tell from the plate how much air pollution there is in an area. This makes the effects of air pollution very tangible. I find it interesting how they link tableware to air pollution when these two elements had nothing to do with each other before. Inspired by this, a campaign group organised a breakfast at Amsterdam City Hall just before a council meeting on air quality, where activists used SerVies’ plates and mugs to express their commitment to the issue.
I also looked at a project in Taiwan, which involved the distribution of some 5,000 ice lollies made from rainwater. With rain, things such as fine particles precipitate and this allows people to actually taste the difference in air pollution. In this way, the ice lollies served as a way to start a conversation about environmental pollution. What I find extraordinary is that the creators managed to connect a topic like air pollution with one of the least controversial things in the world: ice lollies.'
What do you hope to make clear with your dissertation?
'I want to make explicit what designers can do in political contexts and how they can put political issues on the map. Designers can create consumer items that contribute to the energy transition, for example, but there is no quick fix for everything. Many designers tend to frame everything as a problem. Problems can be solved, but issues can be put on the agenda. For me, that’s an important distinction, because it means that when it comes to putting issues on the agenda, designers can play an equally important role.'
Air pollution is a recurring theme in the projects you looked at. Why is this relevant to your research?
'Air pollution is very complex and elusive. It could just as easily have been another public issue, but I came across some interesting projects on air pollution. What interests me is precisely how designers can make something so intangible more tangible.'
What do you see as a key finding?
'The gap between citizens and the government seems to be increasing, but people can express their commitment in different ways – not only by putting a cross on a ballot paper, but also by handing out ice lollies with fine particles or serving breakfast on plates glazed with fine particles. This is important for politicians to know. I’m also convinced that designers can contribute in numerous ways as well – not only by coming up with technical solutions, but also by creating items that help people express their commitment to collective issues. Designers are used to bringing together diverse interests and contradictions. That, combined with imagination, can be a very productive mindset to shape public participation.'
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