Throughout history, there have been design movements and design practices that have been anticapitalist, antagonizing the capitalist system, or noncapitalist, operating outside the basic logics of capitalism. These “alternative designs” have created ongoing tensions and dialogue with capitalist forms of design. There are also historical and contemporary precedents that demonstrate some elements of postcapitalist design.
All Case Studies
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Adbusters
Anticapitalist
1989–present
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Afrofuturism
Noncapitalist
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AfroGoPro
Noncapitalist
2017–
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Anti-design
Anticapitalist
1960s–1980s
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Autonomous Design
Anticapitalist
2000s
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Autonomous Politics & Design
Anticapitalist
1960s–
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BIOFABRICATE
Postcapitalist
2010–Present
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British Arts and Crafts
Anticapitalist
1880s–1920s
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Chloe Rutzerveld
Postcapitalist
2014–present
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Cooperative (Participatory) Design
Noncapitalist
1970s–present
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CoTech
Noncapitalist
2016–present
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Critical Jugaad
Noncapitalist
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Critical, Speculative, & Speculative Critical Design
Noncapitalist
1990s–present
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DESIS Network
Postcapitalist
2006–Present
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Enzo Mari
Anticapitalist
1974
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FilaBot
Postcapitalist
2012–Present
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Four Fields Framework
Noncapitalist
2000s
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Full Grown
Postcapitalist
2006–Present
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Protoprint Project
Postcapitalist
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Punk
Anticapitalist
1968 -
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RepRap LTD
Postcapitalist
2009–Present
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Sassafras Tech Collective
Noncapitalist
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Strange Telemetry
Noncapitalist
2010s–
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Superstudio
Anticapitalist
1966–1970s
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The Black Panthers
Anticapitalist
1966–1982
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The Noun Project
Postcapitalist
2011–Present
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The Situationists International
Anticapitalist
1957 - 1972
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The Universitas Project
Anticapitalist
1972
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Thing Thing
Postcapitalist
2012–Present
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Thingiverse
Postcapitalist
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White Panther Party
Anticapitalist
1968–1980s
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