Design is broken. Young and not-so-young designers are becoming increasingly aware of this. Many feel impotent: they were told they had the tools to make the world a better place, but instead the world takes its toll on them. Beyond a haze of hype and bold claims lies a barren land of self-doubt and impostor syndrome. This book probes the disillusionment that permeates design. It tackles the deskilling effects provoked by digital semi-automation, the instances of ornamental politics fashioned...

Afonso Matos is a Portuguese designer and researcher who is based in The Netherlands. This book is a collection of fanzines inspired by conversations and texts around four main themes: the bubble of the (critical) design school; the power of design and the agency of designers; the nature of design; and collective power. Included are excerpts from Matos’ thesis on the use of design as a social critique and agent of change, his transparent disclosures and personal investigation into the impac...