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Responsible Design

Design as an expression of values and needs

Tuesday, 11.11.2025, 19.00 Uhr bis 21:00 Uhr Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 2, 5020 Salzburg, Österreich Veranstalter: Afro-Asiatisches Institut Salzburg

Design often influences our daily lives more than we realize. Products, processes, and symbols do not arise in a vacuum: they reflect needs, values, and power relations

But whose needs are at the center? And where are we being misled? The modern understanding of design is closely linked to the industrial revolution and growth-driven capitalism. Products arouse desires that lead to mass consumption and the reckless use of resources. In light of global inequality and ecological destruction, the question arises: What role does design play today? Can it be part of the solution—or does it remain part of the problem? In this thematic block, we examine which needs design serves and what responsible design in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) can look like.

Location: Afro-Asiatisches Institut, Learning room (first floor)
Speaker: Friedrich Schadow (game designer and doctoral candidate in inclusive design at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Maria Bürger (education officer at the AAI and communication designer)

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