Alice Rawsthorn

‘It is not a profession but an attitude,’ said László Moholy-Nagy, who in the early 20th century fought to free design from the stranglehold of commerce in which it had been trapped since the Industrial Revolution, restoring to it the task of building a better world. In all its many forms, design has always played an important role as an agent of change, acting as an interpreter of social, political, economic, scientific, cultural and ecological issues to ensure a positive impact on our lives.Alice Rawsthorn, one of the most influential voices in this field, explains how new generations of designers are responding to global challenges such as the climate emergency, rising inequality, humanitarian crises and gender discrimination, demonstrating the same ‘resourcefulness and creativity’ that Moholy-Nagy wrote about and carrying out ambitious social projects, using cutting-edge technologies to create new products or recover and put old ones back into circulation, in line with a constantly growing trend.With an eye on historical figures—the pioneers of a design approach attentive to the needs of the individual and society—the author traces the evolution and most recent developments of this discipline, also in relation to art and craftsmanship, from which it is separated by increasingly porous boundaries, and to sectors such as medicine or sociology, to which it now offers a valuable contribution. A priority for attitudinal designers is, in fact, to be more open to collaboration with a variety of specialists, with a view to building a diverse and inclusive community to present a united front against the many challenges of our time.