The translation of “Design for the Real World” (1971, revised edition 1984) by Victor Papanek tries to lead us away from a wasteful mindset towards a moral and environmentally friendly design. This book is part of a wave in the 1960s when sensitive thinkers encouraged a more active awareness of the surrounding environmental consequences of poor design and planning. In its own way, this book paved the way for changes in the field of design, such as greener architecture and urban planning, and for design movements such as sustainable design, promotion of agriculture in the urban environment, waves of various slow movements (slow food, tourism, fashion, etc.), inclusive design, social design and critical design.
Victor Papanek (1923–1998) was an Austrian-born American designer and lecturer, an advocate of socially and environmentally responsible design. His other books include How Things Don’t Work (1977, with Jim Hennessey), Design for Human Scale (1983), and The Green Imperative (1995).
Translated by Triinu Pakk
Edited by Neeme Lopp and Ruth-Helene Melioranski
Language editor: Elen Pärt
Afterword: Sandra Nuut
Designed by Stuudio Stuudio
464 pages, in Estonian
Estonian Academy of Arts Press, 2023
ISBN 978-9916-619-88-9