What

In this episode of "Design of the Times," designer Gabriel Fontana, joins Den Bosch museum design curator Yassine Salihine. Fontana discusses his unique approach to Social Design, a discipline that uses design principles to address societal challenges with the goal of creating positive social change. For Fontana, the core of social design is its ability to fundamentally transform interactions, environments, and societal structures.

Why

He particularly focuses on sports, viewing them as more than games. Beyond being just games, sports are also social arenas. In this context, sports can be viewed as an architectural space — the sports field — where various objects like equipment and uniforms come together as a unique design system. These elements are pivotal not just in shaping interactions on the field but also in influencing how we perceive and relate to each other, thus impacting the very fabric of our society.

How

Fontana emphasizes the significant social responsibility of designers, which goes beyond creating objects or spaces. It involves challenging existing biases and transforming societal norms, behaviors, and values. His work specifically concentrates on reimagining sports to make them more inclusive, reflective, and transformative, aiming to enrich and diversify social interactions and understandings.

➞ You can listen to the podcast here.