Not ODD at all!

Representation is at the heart of our democracy. But what does it look like? Who designs it? And how can its design be used to regain trust in democratic institutions?

The fictional Office for Design of Democracy (ODD) seeks answers to these fundamental questions, which are important for the future of our democracy. Commissioned by the highest state authority, it designs representative processes, artifacts, and relationships. The new agency's first exhibition presents four moments of representation that have been redesigned in collaboration with various designers. 

The ODD serves as a vehicle for exhibiting the results of the research project “Redesigning Democratic Representation” (Re De Re), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Initiated by design theorist Prof. Dr. Friedrich von Borries (University of Fine Arts Hamburg) and political scientist Prof. Dr. Sven T. Siefken (Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences), the project combines ethnographic observations, citizen participation, and experimental design methods. The focus is on the triangular relationship between citizens, representatives, and the state. The fiction of the ODD and its first exhibition shows that democracy can be improved and further developed through design.