What Was Design

What exactly was design?

Was it the driving force behind progress, the panacea of industry, a cultural practice – or simply a particularly persistent buzzword of the modern age? For over a hundred years, the term has been regularly redefined. Time for a look back.

On Thursday, 9 April 2026, we will be celebrating the book’s launch.

"What was design? – Declarations and definitions from a century of creative quest."(https://www.slanted.de/product/what-was-design/)

The book brings together 87 historical one-sentence answers to the question “What is design?” – from practitioners, theorists and philosophers. Taken together, they form a surprisingly contradictory web of pithy short definitions.

The collection is accompanied by an essay by the editor, Florian Walzel, who explores the reasons behind the enduring conceptual ambiguity of design.

The book was designed by Paul Jürgens and edited by Jurek Werth (social.form). It is published by slanted.

The event is free of charge – we look forward to seeing you there!

open.form is an open space for discussion and interaction centred on architecture, design and the urban community in Darmstadt. On a day-to-day basis, the space serves as office space for social.form and also as a platform for events. Based on the concept of the Urban Commons – shared and collectively managed resources – a variety of events take place here.

The premises have limited accessibility. The toilet facilities in the basement are currently only accessible via the staircase and are therefore not accessible. Please be considerate of the neighbourhood; events are limited to 10.00 pm.

The book was produced by editor Florian Walzel in collaboration with designer Paul Jürgens, with editorial support from Jurek Werth (social.form). It is published by slanted.

The event will take place at the open.form project space.