When Technology Designs Us

How artefacts Shape the Social

SOCIAL DESIGN MASTERCLASS

This course explores how technologies actively mediate our social, cultural, and political lives, and how this mediation reshapes the practice and purpose of social design. Moving beyond a narrow and instrumental understanding of technology, participants will develop a critical and nuanced grasp of artefacts and sociotechnical systems as dynamic agents in society.

Through theoretical grounding, philosophical inquiry, and hands-on engagement, participants will learn how to recognize and navigate the complex interplay between artefacts, ideologies, people, and society. Through collaborative activities and guided discussions, this course cultivates a profound and necessary understanding of technology’s role in shaping society, equipping students with the critical tools to design with purpose and responsibility.

Course Fee / APPLICATION

Course Fee: gross amount 114.300. HUF

90 000 HUF

Application

Application deadline 2025-11-16
START 2025-11-21

What Will You Learn?

  • How to analyze technologies as active agents of social and cultural power, not just neutral tools.
  • Learn to perform critical socio‑technical analysis that will enable you to map and critique how artefacts and systems shape social and political life.
  • Apply justice‑focused, participatory methods to co‑create solutions with diverse stakeholders with a focus on design justice and meaningful participation.
  • Increase technology literacy to identify and challenge dark patterns, surveillance tactics, and techno‑solutionism.
  • Augment your speculative and reflexive skills through future‑casting exercises to anticipate impacts.

This Course Is for You If…

  • You want to examine the ‘wired world’ with care and curiosity.
  • You are interested in understanding the social aspect of design and its applications.
  • You sense that technological tools are never “just tools” and want to learn how they carry social, cultural, and political weight.
  • You want to understand the role of technology in shaping the current world order and global power structures.
  • You are ready to question who designs, who benefits, and who is left out

This Course Might Not Be for You If…

  • You are seeking a purely technical course with no discussion.
  • You prefer one‑size‑fits‑all methodologies rather than open‑ended, philosophical inquiry and reflection.
  • You are not interested in the social, cultural, or political impacts of technology.

Curriculum

  • Introduction to Socio-Technical Systems
  • Technology and the normative power of design
  • Frictionless Systems, Dark Patterns & Learned Helplessness
  • Technosolutionism + AI
  • Algorithmic Biases vs Democracy

Schedule / Timetable

Duration: 2 days (4.5 hours per day)

2025. November 21–22.

Timing: 10:00-15:00

Structure:
Online courses – 4.5 hours each day, incl. lunch break

Dr. Ariel Guersenzvaig

Ariel Guersenzvaig is a design and technology ethicist based in Barcelona, focusing on the ethical impact of machine intelligence on society and the ethics of professional design activity. He is a professor at ELISAVA, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering. His book The Goods of Design: Professional Ethics for Designers (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) was selected as a 2022 Choice Outstanding Academic Title by Choice, the journal of the American Association of College and Research Libraries. He has a PhD in Design Theory from the University of Southampton and an MA in Ethics from the University of Birmingham. He has published more than 20 papers and book chapters for leading academic journals and scholarly publishers.

→ Background: Interaction design, design theory and ethics

→ Links:interacciones.org  



Durre Shehwar Ali

Durre Shehwar Ali is a multidisciplinary designer and educator from Pakistan whose work examines power, neocolonialism, and frictionless solutionism in design and pedagogy, particularly their impact on democratic systems and public space. She is an Assistant Professor at the School of Visual Arts & Design, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, where she also coordinates an interdisciplinary program under the UNESCO Chair on Inclusion Through Art. She holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from NUST, Pakistan, and an MA in Design Research from the Bern University of the Arts, Switzerland. A Hirschmann Fellow and member of the Social Design Network, she has collaborated on projects internationally on healthcare, education, and resource accessibility, and regularly contributes to the social design dialogue in publications and global forums.

→ Background: Design Politics, Social Innovation, Industrial Design

→ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/durreshehwarali/

 

Why Is It Useful?

After the course, you will:

  • Apply critical analysis to uncover hidden risks and mitigate harms, especially to vulnerable populations.
  • Stand out professionally with necessary skills such as participatory design and responsible innovation to ensure your work prioritizes human well‑being, not technological hype.
  • Create solutions that are resilient, inclusive, fair, and aligned with community needs.

Application