Designerly resistance: Professional object design in support of Lebanon’s street protests

Abstract

Design activism theory calls on designers to take responsibility for using their design skills to make real social change though influencing the mindset of their audience. This paper discusses the specific case of architect and designer Guillaume Crédoz who collaborated with the protestors during the 17 October Revolution in Lebanon to help them carry out acts of political disobedience against corruption and government injustice. The history of design lacks examples of professionally designed objects meant to mobilize the public within protest settings, and the examples of Crédoz demonstrate that such objects can be functional, engage the user, express discontent, and support oppositional attitudes in the name of a more just society. At the same time, they can effectively support protestors in their efforts to resist. Designers can play a supportive role in introducing change through functional objects with a disruptive aesthetic.

Keywords:

• Design activism
• activist objects
• activist designer
• protest
• Lebanese revolution

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Guillaume Crédoz for his enthusiasm, wealth of knowledge, and support of this paper; and to Bruce Tharp for his generosity in reviewing an earlier version of this paper and sharing his insights.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karma Dabaghi

Karma Dabaghi is an architect, product designer, and assistant professor who creates artistic expressions that formulate societal criticism and explore materiality. She also researches architecture’s transformative action, spatial agency, and social significance within the public realm of the neoliberal city. Her research explores the political responsibility of the professional designer as a citadin and contributor to the creation of empowering social dynamics.