Politicizing Design from the Grassroots

Drawing from popular activist movements in Latin America, this talk explores the possibilities for the politicization of design.

In her PhD thesis that she recently defended for the Design program of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (ESDI/UERJ) in Brazil, Bibiana delved into her experiences as an active member of different civil society grassroots movements to reveal some of the political, ethical, and practical issues that permeate the transformative action of these collectives. Through Militant Research Methodology and inspired by her action in the fields of popular education and feminism, she traced paths for a possible politicization of the Design field. In this conversation, Bibiana shares some of the lessons she learned from this journey, articulating four axes she considers crucial for the politicization of Design: ontology, epistemology, practice, and content.

Bibiana Oliveira Serpa (she/her) is a Brazilian design researcher, a popular educator, and a feminist activist. She has experience in participatory projects and design for community emancipation in various locations throughout Latin America. Her research associates participatory and critical design approaches to politicization actions within social movements. She is an active member of the Articulação de Mulheres Brasileiras, a co-founder of the Design and Oppression Network, and a co-editor of the International Journal of Engineering, Social Justice and Peace.

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