Entre o design e democracia: narrativas de intervenção política do designer

Abstract

Eight years after the publication of the open letter Stand Up for Democracy by Ezio Manzini and Victor Margolin (2017), this dissertation revisits it in light of the global crisis of democracy. As the cornerstone literature, the letter calls for the exploration of design practices as catalysts for social change that contribute to strengthening democracy. Anchored in the vision of democracy through design, in which individuals have the freedom to collaboratively design their lives in spaces that transform dialogue into concrete results, this study seeks to answer the question: What is Design’s scope of intervention in practices of democracy? and sub-questions: How do design practices currently contribute to promoting democratic values in Portugal? How can Design better contribute to promoting practices of democracy? The study thus focuses on the current challenges and motivations of designers working to shape the present and future of democracy, with an emphasis on the Portuguese context. Through a methodology combining literature review, case studies and semi-structured interviews, existing design practices that foster new practices of democracy in formal and informal contexts are mapped and framed: design-democracy initiatives. The findings reveal that Portuguese designers, whilst demonstrating growing awareness of their role in promoting democratic values, acknowledge the discipline’s limitations regarding challenges beyond its scope, such as lack of political will or low civic engagement rates. The designer acts as a mediator by providing tools that allow communities to collaboratively solve their problems, access relevant and truthful information, participate in collective decision-making and lead their lives intentionally. The designer becomes visible, not as an indispensable figure, but as a mediator in these processes