https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5726-9957
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ABSTRACT
The democratisation of the creative process in design and social innovation has brought the position of the designer into question. Therefore, a shift is necessary from the traditional role-based approach towards one that is value-based. This paper introduces the sociable designer, who is driven by being social, rather than doing social. Based on insights from field work conducted in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, this reorientation highlights the value of design in supporting the reconfiguration of social relationships by thinking of design as a socially-embedded practice.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Design Research Society.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. In contrast, the integrity approach assumes that there is an independent, external set of values where the knower and the known are considered to be separate entities. Therefore, knowledge is external and can be shared and applied onto different contexts.
2. The three key themes identified were the perception of design and social innovation, the role of the designer and sustaining design and social innovation initiatives.
3. Some interviews were conducted with two or three practitioners present. In addition, two practitioners were interviewed twice over the period of one year.
4. This was the case for the Bangkok Chinatown, one of the cases in the field study. Founded by a local architect who grew up in the area, the initiative aims to improve and preserve the historic neighbourhood.
5. In another case study, numerous (design) practitioners risked their careers and reputations by trying to preserve the controversial Pom Mahakan village in Bangkok through various co-design activities. However, the municipality eventually razed the village to the ground, bringing into question whether these decades of effort were worth it in the end.