our collective futures (Page 2)

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Antinomies of design

Let's theorize design responses towards emerging and interconnected crises in 2026.

A (short) critical history of artificial intelligence from a computational fallacy to tech fascism

Just before we wrap up 2025, we take a dive into a critical history of AI. This is an extended version of a short talk I gave in Helsinki at an event called Critical AI.

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Building possibility

The spaces where we once gathered to imagine alternatives have been systematically dismantled. Empty buildings sit locked while communities search for places to meet. The architecture of possibility must be constructed and we have work to do.

A generated image of a statue laying on a couch with many devices around and goggles on its eyes

Don't panic! Designing against dread

What is critical design and can it provide the lead for better sensemaking? We explore how critical design as cultural cartography makes visible the social relations that commercial design naturalizes, creating entry points into complex discussions about values, power, and futures.

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The infrastructure of meaninglessness

Listen, there are two realities that we should be aware of. AI exists to make your job obsolete because the alternative is that AI makes managers obsolete. Let me try to break down this theory, which is very simple in its premise: those who control the technology will never allow

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The spectre of good design

Today's design leader holds an impossible position, performing care work within extractive systems that optimize for engagement over well-being. This cannot be resolved through better processes or ethical frameworks; it should be a condition within which design's potential emerges.

Art tends left

Curiously, art gravitates toward questioning and dissent because art's essential function is to make the familiar strange, revealing the contingency hiding beneath what appears natural and inevitable. This is why radical art like Picasso's Guernica retains its urgent vitality across decades.

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Platform capitalism always destroys what it claims to enable

Substack's latest steps illustrate a predictable trend for venture-backed platforms. Migrating from Substack to Ghost despite the real costs demonstrates a refusal to adhere to platform discipline. Writers must choose between optimizing for audience size and keeping ownership of their work.