On Design and Making with STS

Abstract

This is an attempt to explore the intersection between design practices and science and technology studies (STS) beyond the classroom by taking three different case studies as starting points. The article provides an overview of the central cases known as ‘design things’, ‘speculative research’ and ‘critical making’ and tries to highlight connections and differences between their engagement with STS. Thus, special attention will be paid to the concepts of ‘subpolitics’, Dingpolitik and ‘cosmopolitics’ and how these concepts seem to be relevant in reconfiguring design politics and practices. At the end, the question of how to rethink or re-learn design practices with STS will be addressed.