form 285. Design and Prosthetics

In Germany alone, 7.8 million people live with severe disabilities. In form 285, prosthetics is our main theme; we are looking at physical limitations and how to alleviate and overcome these through design. The topic can be interpreted in a broad sense, since a smartphone can also be seen as a kind of prosthesis. And didn’t Sigmund Freud state as early as 1930 that humans were trying to become a “prosthetic God”? People are living longer and the demand is increasing for prosthetic aids ranging from artificial hip joints to artificially intelligent social-care robots. So it’s high time to find out what’s new in prosthetics. We will also introduce ceramic foam, look at the relationship between biotechnology and speculative design in the Discourse, and shed light on alternative social media try out new forms of digital interaction far away from like buttons.