GSD’s Second Critical Digital Conference explores role of designer in a digital world
Who is the designer today and how important are one's own ideas versus the techniques provided by design software? Is it possible to design without a computer today? With the provocative subtitle, “Who Cares (?),” the second International Conference on Digital Critical challenged participants to raise questions about identity, authenticity, and responsibility of the designer within an increasingly digitally dominated profession. Held April 17-19 at the GSD, the conference started with a reception on Friday evening and introductions by Dean Mohsen Mostafavi, Professor Antoine Picon, and Associate Professor Kostas Terzidis. Conference sessions addressed process, systems, digital condition and philosophy, and identity and normative issues. Numerous faculty members from the GSD and MIT as well as DDes and MDes students participated in the event, which attracted scholars and practitioners from more than 20 countries. The conference's website is at www.gsd.harvard.edu/cdc.
Aaron Sprecher, Assistant Professor of Architecture, McGill University
Photo by Justin Knight.