Open Design Now

In design(ing) there is a revolution ongoing that is triggered by an emerging networked community that is sharing digital information about physical products and the ubiquitous availability of production tools and facilities. It transforms design into an open discipline, in which designs are shared and innovation of a large diversity of products is a collaborative and world spanning process. Open Design Now covers these issues:

Overview of Open Design: practices, tools, licensing systems. As Open Design is a way of designing everyone can participate in, what are emerging practices that facilitate it? what are the tools, existing and needed, to make it happen (physical tools, digital tools, legal tools)? Underlying principles of Open Design: Networked tools for distributed physical production, the understanding of the commons as an elementary resource for cultural production, etc. Implications of Open Design: What effect does Open Design have on designing, artistic expression and creative processes? on the relationship of producer and consumer? on design business? on society at large? Open Design Now includes essays, cases and visuals on various issues of Open Design, and it includes practical guidelines for designers, design educators and policy makers to get started with Open Design. A collaborative effort of Creative Commons Netherlands, Premsela, Dutch Platform for Design, and Fashion and Waag Society.