Knowledge Design and Illusions/Delusions of Agency

Abstract

This article addresses the challenges for design pedagogy in supplying the intellectual and critical skills for knowledge design in networked projects. In addition to the need for technical under­ standing (of data formats, infrastructure, and information systems), this piece suggests that a critical understanding of the concepts of agency should also be part of the designer's skill set. Every model of design practice contains an idea of the designer's agency-as an autonomous, free­willed individual, a part of a social system, an agent for transformative change, an inter­ ventionary force, an instrument of resistance, etc. In turn, the designed environment encodes illusions of agency for a user. The ability to articulate these critical dimensions and understand one's role in the supply chain of illusion is an essential aspect of design practice. Preparing de­ signers for this role should be a crucial component of design education.