Did Anyone Say Social Design?

Did Anyone Say Social Design?
Block seminar, Prof. Dr. Gabu Heindl, Prof. Dr. Mi You

FB06.101

This seminar examines design positions on the future of ecology and alternative economies in games. We will be playing with and critically assessing games, such as world-building and Live Action Role Play games, which range from radically open ones where players scope and explore history, to semi-scripted strategy games for political allegiance building akin to a real world in the future. 
With a focus on the economics and politics of design, we take "social design" with a grain of salt while we view games as a potential site acting on the material and the possible, and therefore being conducive for social design and intervention. 
We will read the underlying economic theory and engage with practitioners whose works are at the forefront of imagining alternative economic, social and political futures and rendering them experienceable through games and play. 

List of Games: Provopoly, Class Struggle, Liquid Dependencies, Secret Hitler, Microscope, Half-Earth Socialism (image stems from the start of this game).

Teaching language: English

Introductory session: 20.10. 12:00-14:00

The seminar will take place as a block seminar in three full-day sessions: Oct. 28, Nov. 10, Dec. 2, Dec. 16 - to be confirmed

Modules: A-1.0-02, A-1.0-10, A-1.1-30, A-1.1-34, A-2.0-01, A-2.1-30, A-2.0-40, C-1.0-10, C-1-40, C-2.0-40, C-1.0-40, C-2.1-40, C-2.1-52, C-2.1-65, D-2.1-40, S-1.0-01, S-1.0-03, S-1.0-04, S-1.0-06.

For all master's students, especially students from FB 05, FB 06, and the School of Art.

Readings, including:

Heindl, G. (2015). Spielräume | free play. Graz: HDA Verlag.

Vettese, T., & Pendergrass, D. (2022). Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. Verso Books.

You, M. (2021) "Anywhere or Here: Art and Society Revisited," in Madhusree Dutta and Nanna Heidenreich (eds.) fAKE hYBRID sITES pALIMPSEST, De Gruyter.

Games, including:

Provopoly, Class Struggle, Liquid Dependencies, Secret Hitler, Microscope, Half-Earth Socialism.

The seminar is a collaboration between the Faculty of Architecture Urban Economics (Prof. Dr. Gabu Heindl) at FB 06 and the Faculty of Art and Economics (Prof. Dr. Mi You) at FB 05.

Image: Fitting, Gabu Heindl