While designers generally recognize their role in shaping communication and society and are aware of certain socio-political issues, there is a lack of reflection on how technology influences the design process itself.
Over the last decades, society has been transitioning from an industrial era’s focus on mass-production to a post-industrial phase. Nowadays, individuals can actively engage in designing or distributing their own products and services 1. This shift in dynamics, commonly linked to the rise of computers and the internet, marked a fundamental change in contemporary design practice. At the same time, a sense of technological saturation has been rising. Many people are increasingly opting for digital minimalism and embracing a low-tech GL lifestyle as a counterweight to the ever-expanding and overreaching influence that technology has on both individuals and society. 2 Notably, the way design software replaced traditional analog design tools has led to a sort of standardization that is not often talked about. This evolution isn't inherently bad. Yet, given that most designers use the same software, it becomes crucial to comprehend its usage and how it influences the way we design. We need an awareness of whether and how (experimental) design tools can change our perspective and, by extension, the way we work and design.
This documentation presents poster.system, a browser-based, open-source experimental design tool that aims for designers to approach their practice from another perspective. The documentation is divided into three parts: an analysis of the current design landscape and the ideas that led to making the tool, followed by a detailed description of its development and, finally, a compilation of an open call and survey results. During a whole month, users were able to submit their work made on poster.system and take part in a survey focused on their experience using the tool and their general thoughts on experimental design. These results are later discussed in a personal reflection of the project.