Situated-design : issues and perspectives
Design-situé : enjeux et perspectives
Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Abstract
Situated-design can be defined as a new approach to design that is part of a contextual dynamic in which creation and design take full account of: materials, know-how, social practices, and the uses of territory, landscapes and environments, as active elements in the design process. In opposition to the dominant productivist model of industrial design, situated design is particularly distinguished by its commitment to preserving and enriching environments.
Announcement
Argument
The organization of this colloquium is the culmination of collaborative design research conducted since 2018. This colloquium is a continuation of five study days we have held focusing on the issue of "Arts de faire" in the field of art and design, based on Etienne Souriau's innovative research in aesthetics founded on the major concept of Instauration.
Situated-design can be defined as a new approach to design that is part of a contextual dynamic in which creation and design take full account of: materials, know-how, social practices, and the uses of territory, landscapes and environments, as active elements in the design process.
In opposition to the dominant productivist model of industrial design, situated design is particularly distinguished by its commitment to preserving and enriching environments (Stengers, Debaise, 2021). It can be seen in practices specific to the circular economy of materials and know-how, but also in territorial and landscape design approaches, participatory practices on a local scale and, more globally, in the thinking of the commons.
This approach emphasizes alternative methodologies, anchored in the logic of proximity and eco-construction with local players. Third and intermediate places reinvent the circular economy of design on a daily basis, and participate in concrete, constructive experimentation with the commons in a broader field that includes art, architecture, urban planning and design. Rather than imposing preconceived design methods, these practices bring into play devices where design becomes an evolving, collaborative process, sensitive to the dynamics of living things.
From this perspective, the design project is not reduced to the manufacture of objects and spaces, but is akin to a "œuvre-à-faire" (Souriau, 1956), where uses, materials and techniques respond to each other in an open dialogue with the environment. Situated-design develops in a correspondence between the living way and its expressive potentialities (Ingold, 2017), integrating artisanal knowledge and the preservation of the commons necessary for the effective implementation of a desirable ecological and social transition.
The question of appropriate techniques and vernacular traditions must not be forgotten to evoke the relevance of the situated-design project in its relationship to the reality of a particular environment. Beyond the production of artifacts, the aim is to generate fertile "transactions" (Dewey, 1910) between "milieux du vivant" (Tufano, 2024) and "those" who inhabit them, in order to foster adaptive and evolutionary approaches. By combining academic reflection and field practice, the symposium will help to clarify the issues at stake and open up new perspectives for a more ecologically inclusive and collaborative design.
We propose four areas of reflection that will form the basis of the symposium program: We are proposing four lines of thought which will form the basis of the conference programme:
Axis 1 - The emergence of a site-specific design
This area will look at the historical and disciplinary foundations that form the common basis of situated-design, in order to identify the emergence of these practices and the terminologies associated with them, depending on the national and disciplinary contexts concerned. It will explore how what we refer to here as place-based design intersects with certain issues in the design of territories, landscapes and environments, as well as event design, social design, ecodesign and the design of the commons.
Theme 2 - Ethics, aesthetics and politics of situated-design
This theme examines the evolution of the aesthetic, ethical and political forms of contemporary design, in relation to the circular economy, the social and solidarity economy, the development of new sustainable economies and the relational ethics that guide them. In particular, it may cover :
- The ethical and political challenges of situated-design in the face of ecological imperatives (care design, capacity design, the commons, etc.).
- The new aesthetics of everyday life.
- New production spaces for situated-design : workshops, wastelands, collective laboratories.
Area 3 - Situations, territories, environments
So how do you think about design that is in touch with its « milieu » ? The aim of this area is to explore field practices through the relationships between situated-design, territorial design and environmental design. Case studies will be used to explore the methods of co-design and interdisciplinary collaboration involved.
These include :
- To think in practical terms about the relationship between materials, uses and the dynamics of living things within an environment (milieu).
- To demonstrate the collaborative methods used by designers, researchers and the general public in a wide range of situations. Round table: cross-experiences of international practioner groups.
Axis 4 - Research perspec-ves in situated-design
The last half-day will be devoted to a forward-looking discussion between international researchers to define the future directions of design-sited and the opportunities for academic and professional collaboration. Topics will include An overview of design in France and abroad. Prospects for the development of new methodologies for the analysis and conception of situated-design projects.
International researchers' round table (transla-on) and discussion: Building networks for research and collaboration on place-based design.
Submission guidelines
There are a number of ways to communicate: a talk (30 min), a round table (20 min) or a poster.
Send a 500-word summary (in French and English), together with a short biography and bibliographical references. Add 5 key words in French and English.
Please specify in which language you will be communicating (French or English).
Send to claire.azema@u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr
no later than 10 June 2025
- 30 June 2025: Notification of acceptance to the selected communicators.
- 15 Septembre 2025: Deadline for stakeholders to confirm their participation.
- November 19, 20, 21, 2025: Conference at Bordeaux
Scientific coordination
- Claire Azéma, Agrégée d'arts appliqués, Maître de conférences en design à l'Université Bordeaux Montaigne, membre du Laboratoire ARTES, UR 24141
- Christian Malaurie, Anthropologue de l'art et du design Dr-HDR, Membre honoraire du Laboratoire-ARTES UR 24141, Université Bordeaux Montaigne
Scientific Committee
- Catherine Chomarat-Ruiz, Professeur de philosophie et théorie du design, Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne
- Jérôme Dupont, Professeur de design, Université de Nîmes Pierre Baumann, Professeur d’arts plastiques, Université Bordeaux Montaigne
- Aline Wiame, MCF de Philosophie, Université de Toulouse II
- Antonella Tufano, Professeur de design, Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne
- Kristin Samson, Professeur Assistant in Visual Culture and Performance Design, Roskilde University, Danemark
- Timea Gyimesi, MCF département d’études françaises, Université de Szeged, Hongrie
- Céline Poisson, PR école de design de l’UQAM, Montréal
Subjects
- Urban studies (Main category)
- Mind and language > Representation > Architecture
Places
- Bordeaux, France (33)
Event attendance modalities
Hybrid event (on site and online)
Date(s)
- Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Attached files
Keywords
- design-situé, design d'événement, situation, collectifs d'architecture, collectifs de design
Contact(s)
- Claire Azema
courriel : claire [dot] azema [at] u-bordeaux-montaigne [dot] fr
Information source
- Claire Azema
courriel : claire [dot] azema [at] u-bordeaux-montaigne [dot] fr
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Situated-design : issues and perspectives », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, https://doi.org/10.58079/13x0c
