Academic Outputs

The following are some of the academic work that has preceded the Symbiotic Design Framework.

PhD THESIS
Autopoietic design:illumination and characterization of design from the perspective of the theory of autopoiesis.

As a way of thinking about design in a more harmonious relationship with its environment, this document proposes an approach from the world of biology, specifically, from the work of Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, who developed the concept of Autopoiesis, which initiated a new paradigm in the definition of what characterizes living beings. For them, autopoietic systems are those that create, reproduce, and repair their own boundaries, components, and organization.

It is well known that design is a discipline that has been specializing and concentrating on increasingly narrow aspects of the phenomena it deals with. He self-imposes partial visions of his actions and his environment and, therefore, has been losing the capacity for holistic observation and analysis that he once had. For this reason, a bibliographical review and an international survey were carried out in search of evidence that would allow characterizing its borders, components and organization. This allowed the design to be illuminated to be understood as an autopoietic system. In this process, seven essential components were identified in the observed tests, and their organization gives rise to a systemic design framework; These components are: Human component or the referential dimension, Transitional component or the time dimension, Allopoietic component or the physical dimension, Operational component or the procedural dimension, Observational component or the cybernetic dimension, Teleological component or the causal dimension and the Relational component or the spatial dimension.

This new organization allows design to define clear disciplinary limits, regulating its response within those parameters, in order to guarantee continuity in its operation, through the generation of a production that is integrated into its ecological niche. A deep understanding of design guarantees sustainability in your actions.

Download the full thesis here in Spanish.

Autopoietic design; seven components for a sustainable future design model.

June, 2021
www.cumulusrome2020.org

Maturana and Varela in 1973 declared that an autopoietic unit is the one that creates, reproduces, and repairs its own components and organization. The last two hundred years, humankind has generated an unprecedented technological development. Unfortunately, it has broken the balance of the biosphere, leading to a new geological change, the Anthropoccene. Design must assume its share of responsibility. It is clear that the practical theoretical model assumed so far is not working, it is necessary to make a paradigm shift. By appropriating a methodology born in biology and created to determine whether we are facing an autopoietic entity, design seeks new ways of understanding oneseed and thus being able to have a more sustainable action. This research suggests that contemporary sustainable design, understood as a systemic model anchored in the theory of autopoiesis, will constitute a methodological theoretical tool that will allow a more harmonious link with the environment.

Download here.

Pasado, Presente y Futuro del Diseño en Latinoamérica

Past, Present and Future of Design in LatinAmerica.

November, 2020

Online symposium I organized with many of Latin American CUMULUS members. We talked and discussed about design as a discipline, it's history and the opportunities we see in our future.

To watch the videos (in Spanish) visit this playlist.

Moda, Ética y Diseño, relaciones complejas

Fashion, ethics and design; complex relationships Webinar

Sep 24, 2020
www.econexia.com

There are situations within the design that complicate its development and fashion is one of them. What are the factors that should support this relationship, which has been maintained for decades and is now beginning to show symptoms of rupture? Fashion by definition implies change, renewal, discarding. However, this contrasts with the paths that Design is leading towards non-obsolescence. Should Design or Fashion adapt? Should they follow parallel paths? Is Fashion Really Design? What are the power struggles that are taking place?

See video here (in spanish)

CADi 2020: Reemergencias

Sep 17, 2020
Facultad de Arte y Diseño, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

I participated in CADi 2020: Reemergences in panel 2: Design and Contemporary Society.

CADi is the Design Congress that integrates Diffusion and Research in Latin America, organized by the Design Specialties of the PUCP.

In the midst of this difficult world situation, CADi remains firm in its conviction and mission to integrate Diffusion and Research in Design at the Latin American level and re-emerges as a sign that design adapts and finds opportunities to innovate in adversity.

Download Congress proceedings here.

Speech "Why it is important to study design today?"

Sept 19, 2020
Indoamérica University, Ecuador

The question WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY DESIGN TODAY?  has different answers according to the historical moment in which it is carried out, and has  answers depending on who and where it is carried out. In this talk I gave to future design students, I present the complex challenges they are facing today. I hope through my words, I have conveyed some responsibility for their future actions.

View the speech here (in spanish)

Speech "What is design today?"

Jul 30, 2019
XIV Encuentro Latinoamericano de Diseño, Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires

The General Theory of System and its derivatives is presented as a concrete possibility that would allow a paradigm shift in Design. The tradition of this discipline, like that of most others, has maintained a mechanistic view of its constituent components, which ended up limiting its disciplinary evolution and preventing it from fulfilling its ultimate purpose.

Newsletter Guest Editor for a special issue of “Design 4 all India” with the theme "Design & Misery"

Jul 1, 2019
Design for all Institute of India

I was invited to be guest editor for an issue of the Newsletter Design for All of India. It was a great honor but also a great challenge since I decided to center the editorial work in a theme that is usually hidden, MISERY. Poor people are not in the center of today's design discussions either in academic, main stream or social media. I deeply hope this is just the starting point and many others start looking at the unseen.

Download publication here

Speech "Autopoietic design, as a sustainability formula"

Nov 14, 2018
XIV Simposio Internacional del Posgrado en Artes y Diseño y el 1er Coloquio Interdisciplinario de Diseño, Postgrado en Artes y Diseño, Universidad Autonoma de Mexico

Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in 1973 declared that an autopoietic unit is one that creates, reproduces, and repairs its own components and organization. The purpose of the speech is to feel invited to think design in terms of its components, organization, structure, border and variable contexts. Thus in the future it will be possible to differentiate which processes in design respond to an autopoietic logic and which do not. Restructuring the corresponding categories and components in design to those present in the theory of autopoiesis, will help decipher if having a design process through an autopoietic organization could allow for a more sustainable way of creation. Further more than the design process whose action is based on disciplinary tradition.

Published a Book Chapter based on this speech. Download here.

Publication date: October 2019
Book Title: Las Artes y el Diseño frente a un mundo complejo. Una reflexión a 50 años del inicio de los estudios de posgrado en artes y diseño en la UNAM.
Chapter: El Diseño Autopoiético como fórmula de sostenibilidad.
ISBN: 978-607-30-2184-5

Sustainable Autopoietic Design, is it possible?

Jul 31, 2018, Congreso Latinoamericano de Enseñanza del Diseño, Facultad de Diseño y Comunicación, Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

An abstract of my PhD Thesis was presented.

Speech "Poiesis and cultural appropriation"

Jul 31, 2018
Congreso Latinoamericano de Enseñanza del Diseño, Facultad de Diseño y Comunicación, Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Speech in the Local and Regional Identities Commission. In the video linked you can see me talking about the commission's conclusions (in spanish)

You can view the video here

Comparison of design education according to the views of Gropius and Buchanan

Jan 1, 2017
REVISTA BASE 2 · DISEÑO PARA LA EDUCACIÓN DEL SIGLO XXI, UDD

Walter Gropius and Richard Buchanan, within a span of 100 years had the same question. What is the best way to teach design? In this article, a comparison of the main ideas developed by this two educators shows they had many issues in common, but as well many diverging ones. *This paper is bilingual English & Spanish and published in Revista Base #2

You can download it at Researchgate.

Multimedia: digital interactivity

Dec 1, 2002
Escuela de Diseño, FAAD, Universidad Diego Portales

Way back in 2002 this was a short reflection of what interactive media was. I coined the term liquid information in my classes and incorporated into this short essay, where I described the intention of my course then.