This is a red book on a white background called 'What Design Can't Do: Essays on Design and Disillusion' by Silvio Lorusso. It has a yellow and black abstract image on the front page.
This is a red book on a white background called 'What Design Can't Do: Essays on Design and Disillusion' by Silvio Lorusso. It has a yellow and black abstract image on the front page.
Silvio Lorusso

What design can’t do: essays on design and disillusion

£20.00

Design is broken. Young and not-so-young designers are becoming increasingly aware of this. Many feel impotent: they were told they had the tools to make the world a better place, but instead the world takes its toll on them. Beyond a haze of hype and bold claims lies a barren land of self-doubt and impostor syndrome.

This book probes the disillusionment that permeates design. It tackles the deskilling effects provoked by digital semi-automation, the instances of ornamental politics fashioned to please the museum-educational complex, the nebulous promises of design schools. While reviving historical expressions of disenchantment, Silvio Lorusso examines present-day memes and social media rants. To depict this disheartening crisis, he crafts a new critical vocabulary for readers to build upon. What this exposé reveals is both worrying and refreshing: rather than producing a meaningful order, design might be just about inhabiting chaos.

“Are you a bit depressed about design? This book might help you understand why. It may also make you laugh. With a lightness of touch, Silvio Lorusso provides an unflinching but well-reasoned discussion as to how design has become so ‘bigged up’ and what this actually means for its practitioners. After reading this book, design will never look the same to you.” – Guy Julier, author of Economies of Design

Set Margins, 2024
Paperback, 352pp
12.7cm x 20.32cm
ISBN: 9789083350134

 

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Once your order is placed, the SLG will endeavour to package and send all books, stationary and gifts within 3 working days. In the instance that the item you purchased is out of stock, we will send you the item when next available.

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FAQs
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The South London Gallery Shop sells books & magazines, gifts, cards, stationery and artist limited editions. The Shop opening hours are:

  • Mondays Closed
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Please note our opening hours will change during the Christmas season. Please check the main SLG website for updates: southlondongallery.org.

Your order will normally be dispatched within 3-4 working days, at which point you will be sent a dispatch email from us. How long your order takes to arrive will vary depending on the items you have purchased and their most appropriate shipping method.  For artist editions please see question 8. The approximate time frames are as follows:

·         UK - 2-5 days

·         EU - 5-10 days

·         US - 5-10 days

·         Rest of the world - 14-21 days

As with all purchases, liability of the item is the responsibility of the customer after the point of purchase. If you would like us to send you your order in the post, please read the below conditions carefully.

If you are purchasing books, stationery or gifts from us (excluding ceramics, glassware, limited editions and artworks) we will send your order with the basic coverage offered by the shipping services we work with. If you would like a specific level of insurance or delivery service used, please contact us at the time of purchase, so we can do our best to accomodate your requests.

If you would like us to use our regular service to send an order containing fragile items, including ceramics, glassware, limited editions and artworks, we will do our best to ensure they are safely packed. Please note, we cannot guarantee these will be safe from any damage that may occur on their journey to you. If you wish to discuss alternative shipping arrangements, please email us at shop@southlondongallery.org.

If you are experiencing any delay outside of the estimated timeframes, please email us with your details and order number at shop@southlondongallery.org.

International customers should keep a close eye on the tracking information and respond to any customs queries where required. All customs duties are payable by the receiver.

More information on our Returns Policy and general Terms & Conditions can be found here.

Please note our final order date for Christmas delivery will be Thursday the 12th of December 2024. Any order received after the 12th of December cannot be guaranteed to arrive before 24th December. Purchases made during the Christmas holidays will be shipped at the beginning of January.

If your order arrives damaged, we kindly ask that you document any damage to the parcel and its contents and send it to us at shop@southlondongallery.org. After this is received and confirmed with us, you will be able opt for a refund, or to have a new order sent to you. Find more information on our returns policy and our terms & conditions here.

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, we will happily exchange or refund your items within 14 days of receipt, as long as it is sent back to us in its original condition, this includes original packaging. If you have purchased your items in-store, you can request an exchange or refund within 30 days.

 

We will inspect all orders returned to us and proceed accordingly. If the items returned fail to meet the criteria outlined above, we will be unable to exchange or refund your items.

 

If you have purchased online, you will be able to exchange or return your purchased items by following our returns procedure. Find our returns policy here.

As with all purchases, liability of the item is the responsibility of the customer after the point of purchase. If you would like us to send you your order in the post, please read the below conditions carefully.

If you are purchasing books, stationery or gifts from us (excluding ceramics, glassware, limited editions and artworks) we will send your order with the basic coverage offered by the shipping services we work with. If you would like a specific level of insurance or delivery service used, please contact us at the time of purchase, so we can do our best to accomodate your requests.

If you would like us to use our regular service to send an order containing fragile items, including ceramics, glassware, limited editions and artworks, we will do our best to ensure they are safely packed. Please note, we cannot guarantee these will be safe from any damage that may occur on their journey to you. If you wish to discuss alternative shipping arrangements, please email us at shop@southlondongallery.org.