This document summarizes a research project called "Precarity Pilot" that examines how designers can adopt de-precarizing strategies to sustain their practices. The project involves nomadic workshops throughout Europe and an online platform. It aims to make visible the diverse support systems that sustain designers beyond conventional notions of success, and give visibility to designers activating unconventional economies. The researchers seek to transform models of design practice based on market transactions alone and promote strategies like commoning, solidarity economies, and self-organization.

1. Bianca Elzenbaumer / Brave New Alps
Junior research fellow,
Leeds college of art (Uk)
@bravenewalps
#PRECARITYPILOT
Making Other Worlds Possible V:
The Role of Disruptive Innovation and New Political Imaginaries
Session 1632 ― AAG Annual meeting, Chicago, 21 April 2015
PRECARITY PILOT: exceeding precarising
models of design practice

2. A practice-led research project by design collective
Brave New Alps & illustrator-pedagogue Caterina Giuliani
running since march 2014
previous research based on:
― Cantiere per pratiche non-affermative
politicised co-working space in Milan (2011)
― Designer’s inquiry
an inquiry into the socio-economic conditions
of designers in Italy (2012-2013)
BACKGROUND

3. research questions
― how can designers WHO ARE EXPANDING THE POLITICAL RELEVANCE
OF DESIGN in society ADOPT DE-precarising strategies in order to
sustain their practices in the long-run?
― how do de-precarising strategies and tactics contribute to
transform the role of the designer?
ethics of commoning knowledge
― knowledge is created through workshops and collaborations
― knowledge is shared through an on-line platform

4. RECOGNISING WHAT SUSTAINS OUR PRACTICES
SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
SEXUALITYMATERIAL RESOURCES
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
TECHNICAL SKILLS
LIFE STYLE
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
SOCIAL RELATIONS
WHERE YOU STUDIED
VALUE PRACTICES
WHERE YOU WORKED
EXHIBITIONS
PUBLICATIONS
SKIN COLOUR
LOCATION
BODILY ABILITY
VALUES GENDER
APPEARANCE
AGE
LABOUR AND RESOURCE
EXPLOITATION ELSEWHERE
HOW DO YOU CARVE OUT
TIME TO THINK ABOUT
Element 1: NOmadic workshops throughout Europe

5. Element 2: On-line platform www.precaritypilot.net

6. context of intervention
Design is today widely discussed as a form
of politIcs and activism.
but
the models of practice proposed are still based
on conventional forms of organising and thinking
about economies, clients and success.
thinking and Strategising with...
community economies, commons & commoning,
solidarity economies, self-organising, ...

7. some of the Blockages we encounter
― ROMANTICISATION OF THE PROFESSION
― UNIVERSALISED notion of ‘success’

8. ROMANTICISATION of the profession
― precarious conditions ‘happen’ only to those
who are not good at what they do.
― WE Need to shift this imaginary. it blocks solidarity and
hides THE FACT that the conditions within the creative
industries systemically exclude the less privileged.

9. UNIVERSALISED notion of success
― ‘success’ means to be able to secure your livelihood
soley through market-transactions.
― This mystifies that lots of designers who are ‘successful’
are so because they could/can count on all sorts of
non-market support.

10. Strategy 1: Making the diverse support-elements of design
visible to be able to deconstruct, transform AND redirect them
RECOGNISING WHAT SUSTAINS OUR PRACTICES
SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
SEXUALITYMATERIAL RESOURCES
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
TECHNICAL SKILLS
LIFE STYLE
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
SOCIAL RELATIONS
WHERE YOU STUDIED
VALUE PRACTICES
WHERE YOU WORKED
EXHIBITIONS
PUBLICATIONS
SKIN COLOUR
LOCATION
BODILY ABILITY
VALUES GENDER
APPEARANCE
AGE
LABOUR AND RESOURCE
EXPLOITATION ELSEWHERE
Iceberg inspired by J.K. Gibson-Graham

11. strategy 2: giving visibility to designers and ‘progettisti’*
who activate unconventional, inventive and supportive
economies.
EXAMPLES ABOUND. INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED UNTIL NOW:
― 26’10 South Architects (ZAF)
― Åbäke (GRB)
― Blackbark (GRB)
― Ecolabs (GRB/USA)
― Footprint Co-op (GRB)
― Formes Vives (FRA)
― HomeShop (CHN)
― Kultivator (SWE)
― Make People Do Lab (ITA)
― PLATFORM (UK)
― Škart (SRB)
― Ultra-red (USA/EU)
* Italian for ‘someone WHO DOES projects’

12. Thank you
bravenewalps@gmail.com
www.brave-new-alps.com
leeds-art.academia.edu/BiancaElzenbaumerBraveNewAlps