Mission

To bring about desired changes and innovations, designers must integrate diverse interests and connect different knowledge domains and social partners for the sake of a common goal.

The professorship is investigating two important questions:

How can designers convincingly propose a different future? This question relates to the tradition in art and design of visually speculating on alternative solutions, concepts and futures.
How can designers convincingly play their part as cross-boundary and cross-disciplinary players needed to connect the various partners?

In both questions, the creation and use of prototypes play an essential role. Prototypes are physical, experiential representations of an intended change in the future. They are ideally suited to serve as a linking pin between different communities of practice: communities that are distinguished by their own norms, values and language. These define the boundaries between the practices of artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, citizens and politicians.

Designers can break through these boundaries with their visual language of prototypes, necessary when they have to work together. The current design practice is increasingly characterised by cross-disciplinary activities with prototypes as boundary objects for the creation of a joined practice.

Creating a shared research practice using boundary objects

The professorship sees it as its mission to research these boundary objects. Based on research and innovation projects, it aims to develop, apply and test a theory and taxonomy of boundary objects and the contexts in which they can be successfully applied.

This taxonomy builds on existing theories about boundary objects within different fields of science (literature research). Boundary objects are created and tested through practice-based research projects for a sustainable society (action research). In addition, we will also explore how boundary objects are made and used within ArtEZ’s design courses (explorative research).