Design and Society: Social Issues in Technological Design

This book discusses concepts of good design from social perspectives grounded in anthropology, sociology and philosophy. It provides readers with an awareness of social issues in design to help them in their work as design professionals.

Each chapter of the book covers a specific area of good design, explaining and applying a small set of related concepts to a series of case studies, and including a list of additional sources recommended for further study.

The book does not assume any specialized, technical background knowledge; it is not a how-to book that offers technical instruction. Yet, it focuses on the assessment of designs, addressing concepts qualitatively (with a small exception for the concept of risk). Based on an established university course on Design and Society at the Centre for Society, Technology, & Values that the author offers for students from a variety of disciplines, the book represents a valuable resource for students in engineering, architecture and industrial design - helping prepare them for careers as design professionals - and all readers in design-related professions interested in understanding a side of design that they may well never have considered systematically. Because of its broad scope and non-technical presentation style, the book may also be of interest for general readers interested in social issues in design and technology.

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