ELISA OTAÑEZ

Social matter, social design: For good or bad, all design is social

'Design is a social discipline. Once we acknowledge that the material and the social are entangled, any romantic illusion (or delusion) about design as mere form-giving is washed away. Once we recognize that things have presence and agency within the social systems we inhabit, no designer can be absolved from the consequences of their design. This is a strong book, inexorable in attributing designers responsibility, but also adamant in recognizing their growing power and their ability to wield objects as weapons for positive change. '
- Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Architecture & Design, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. (book link)

Yellow Spot. Elisa Otañez' MA Social Design thesis.

Currently, there is a global lack of public toilets for women. This reflects a variety of design issues and gender inequalities. Women should not negotiate and juggle with factors foreign to them when it comes to covering a basic human need. Not having access to public toilets or being presented with a set of conditions that they didn’t agree on -like having to pay to use toilets or making long queues- is a form of coercion, segregation, and discrimination from public space. But most importantly, it's a design issue that can be solved. The act of peeing should not be tied to restrictions: the fact that women and men have physical differences should not be the cause of unequal availability and access to public toilets.

This thesis focuses on the current unequal access to public toilets between different genders presenting the obstacles that women confront and some of the design opportunities that can be embraced.

Read the full text here.