Towards a polylocal polylogue on designs and autonomías – an intro

Abstract

The organization of this special issue of the Strategic Design Research Journal took us along many paths. As you will know by now, we started this process interested in questioning mainstream design and in exploring designing across and above disciplinary frontiers. At the beginning, it was just a conversation between the three of us (Alfredo, Andrea and Chiara). A conversation consisting of our thoughts emerged at (and by) the crossing of cultures, continents, trajectories and aspirations. Sure enough, even if we are located in/living in/from Colombia, Finland, Italy and Brazil, our minds-hearts-legs are actually in multiple locations. However, suddenly, things changed. The conversation expanded. From October 2016 to June 2018, several different people around the world joined our journey and an intense exchange of ideas took place beyond the papers we received and the related selection process. It has grown in proportions through and with email exchange, face-to-face conversations, and skype calls.