Hey, I’m Sven Quadflieg — I work in the field of design (›quadflieg.studio), design research and design theory.
Info
I studied design and visual communication at the Folkwang University of the Arts (Essen, Germany) and the Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland) and wrote my doctoral thesis at the HFBK Hamburg. As a designer I have worked mainly in the socio-cultural field. I am currently a professor at HSHL, having previously taught at the Bergische Universität Wuppertal, the Fachhochschule Münster, Ecosign and the Folkwang Universität der Künste. I am a member of the German Society for Design Theory and Research, the International Gender Design Network, and the Design & Posthumanism Network.
Publications
Monograph
Quadflieg, Sven (2021): Mit erhobener Faust. Die Ästhetik des Protests und die Inszenierung der serbischen Revolution. Hamburg: Adocs
Editor
Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus; Nestler, Simon (Eds.) (2022): (Dis)Obedience in Digital Societies. Perspectives on the Power of Algorithms and Data. Bielefeld: Transcript
Quadflieg, Sven; Theune, Gregor (Eds.) (2016): Nadogradnje. Urban Self-Regulation in Post-Yugoslav Cities. Weimar: M Books
Book chapters
Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus (2024): Artifical Design. Über Algorithmen als neue Akteurinnen in Designpraxis, -forschung und -lehre, in: Grabbe, Lars; Held, Tobias (Eds.): Designforschung und Designwissenschaft. Methoden und Theorien gestalterischer Episteme. Wiesbaden: Springer VS
Quadflieg, Sven (2023): WEIRD Problems — Rethinking Privileged Design?, in: Mehl, Johanna; Höfler, Carolin (Eds.): Attending [to] Futures. Matters of Politics in Design Education, Research, Practice. Hamburg: Adocs
Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus; Nestler, Simon (2022): (Dis)obeying Algorithms? Introductory Thoughts on the Power of Algorithms and the Possible Necessity of Resisting it, in: ead.: (Dis)Obedience in Digital Societies. Perspectives on the Power of Algorithms and Data. Bielefeld: Transcript
Quadflieg, Sven; Nestler, Simon; Sturm, Christian (2021): Diversität in der Konzeption und Gestaltung sicherheitskritischer Systeme, in: Reuter, Christian (Ed.): Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Interaktive Technologien und Soziale Medien im Krisen- und Sicherheitsmanagement. Wiesbaden: Springer Vieweg
Nestler, Simon; Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus (2021): The Design Prism. How Informatory-Algorithmic Education can Benefit from Design Competencies, in: Schulze Heuling, Lydia; Filk, Christian (Eds.): Algorithmic and aesthetic literacy. Emerging Transdisciplinary Explorations for the Digital Age. Opladen: Verlag Barbara Budrich
Quadflieg, Sven (2020): Alle Namen, in: Christensen, Michelle; Fezer, Jesko; Herlo, Bianca; Hornuff, Daniel; Joost, Gesche (Eds.), Lechts und Rinks. Hamburg: Adocs
Quadflieg, Sven (2018): Gestaltete Gesellschaft? Gestaltende Gesellschaft? Fragestellungen zur Problematik des transformativen Designs, in: Rodatz, Christoph; Smolarski, Pierre (Eds.): Was ist Public Interest Design? Positionen zur Gestaltung öffentlicher Interessen. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag
Quadflieg, Sven (2016): Acts of self-regulation. An approach to the potential of informal roof extensions, in: Quadflieg, Sven; Theune, Gregor (Eds.): Nadogradnje. Urban Self-Regulation in Post-Yugoslav Cities. Weimar: M Books
Articles / peer-reviewed conference papers (selected examples)
Nestler, Simon; Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus (2024): From Every Angle: The Superfluity of Images and Its Impact on Collective Memory, in: Proceedings of CHI Post-growth HCI Workshop (CHI ’24). ACM, New York, 2024
Jessen, Dustin; Quadflieg, Sven (2023): Towards Contingency: How Design Literacy Empowers Pluralistic Worldviews and Enhances Transitional Design., in: Temes de Disseny 39: 198-207. https://doi.org/10.46467/TdD39.2023.92-113
Quadflieg, Sven (2023): Spaces for friction? Using the concept of free space as a starting point for sustainable and desirable futures, in: Holmlid, S., Rodrigues, V., Westin, C., Krogh, P. G., Mäkelä, M., Svanaes, D., Wikberg-Nilsson, Å (eds.), Nordes 2023: This Space Intentionally Left Blank, 12-14 June, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2023.119
Quadflieg, Sven (2022): Post-anthropocentric Design: The problem of optimizing the relationship between humans and nature, in: Leitão, Renata M.; Men, Immony; Noel, Lesley-Ann; Lima, Jananda; Meninato, Tieni (eds.): Proceedings of Pivot 2021. Dismantling/reassembling — Tools for alternative futures. (› PDF)
Nestler, Simon; Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus (2021): Challenges of downscaling and upscaling in human-centered design, in: Brandt, Eva; Markussen, Thomas, Berglund, Eva; Julier, Guy; Linde, Per (eds.): Proceedings of Nordes 2021: Matters of Scale. 15-18 August 2021, Kolding, Denmark. ( › Researchgate)
Neuburg, Klaus; Quadflieg, Sven; Nestler, Simon (2021): Will artificial intelligence make designers obsolete?, in: Engenhart, Marc; Loewe, Sebastian (eds.): Proceedings of the First Conference on Designing with Artificial Intelligence . München: appliedAI (› Researchgate)
Nestler, Simon; Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus (2020): Das Design-Prisma - Interdisziplinäre Lösung gesellschaftlicher Herausforderungen, in: Fischer, Holger & Hess, Steffen (Eds.), Mensch und Computer 2020 – Usability Professionals. Bonn: Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. und German UPA e.V.. DOI: 10.18420/muc2020-up-0110 (› Researchgate)
Kucera, Jan; Quadflieg, Sven (2013): Wirkungszusammenhänge versus duale Datenkorrelationen, in: ARCH+. Zeitschrift für Architektur und Städtebau. Ausgabe 213, S. 176–177
Published abstracts
Quadflieg, Sven (2022): Form follows … what? Designlehre im Kontext des Anthropozäns, in: Augsten, Andrea; Wölfel, Christian; Frye, Annika; Köck, Markus (eds.): Design × Nachhaltigkeit. Jahrestagung der DGTF 2022, Book of Abstracts.
Quadflieg, Sven; Nestler, Simon; Neuburg Klaus (2021): Spuren einer digitalen Ebene – die Allgegenwart des Digitalen im Stadtraum, in: Fricke, Ellen; Meiler, Matthias (eds.): Transformations – Signs and their Objects in Transition. 16th International Congress of the German Society for Semiotics 2021.
Talks/Workshops (selected examples)
2023
Spaces for friction? Using the concept of free space as a starting point for sustainable and desirable futures (Talk). »Nordes. The 10th Nordic Design Research Society (Nordes) Conference«, Linköping University
2022
Form follows … what? Designlehre im Kontext des Anthropozäns (Talk). »Design × Nachhaltigkeit«, DGTF, Kiel
2021
Weird Problems – Rethinking Privileged Design? (Talk). »Attending (to) Futures«, Köln International School of Design
Challenges of downscaling and upscaling in human-centered design. (Talk – with Klaus Neuburg). »Nordes 2021. Matters of Scale«, Kolding (Online)
Spuren einer digitalen Ebene. (Talk – with Klaus Neuburg). »Deutsche Gesellschaft für Semiotik« (Online)
Post-anthropocentric design? (Talk) »Pivot 2021. Dismantling/reassembling — Tools for alternative futures«, Toronto (Online)
Social Design? (Talk) »Social Design«, HS Wismar (Online)
2020
Will Artificial Intelligence Make Designers Obsolete? (Talk – with Klaus Neuburg and Simon Nestler). »Designing with Artificial Intelligence«, MD.H, Berlin
Design Prism (Workshop – with Klaus Neuburg und Simon Nestler). »Mensch und Computer«, University of Magdeburg
2019
Die Rollen des Designs in der digitalen Welt (Panel Discussion). »Was ist Public Interest Design?«, University of Wuppertal
2018
Archäologie der Gegenwart (Workshop), Froh!, Hamm
2017
Die Ästhetik politischer Proteste im urbanen Raum (Talk). Public Positions, University of Wuppertal
2016
Partizipation und Selbstregulierung in architektonischen Prozessen (Panel Discussion), AIT Architektursalon Cologne
2013–2018
Design promoviert (Organization and moderation), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Designtheorie und -forschung
Books
Algorithms are not to be regarded as a technical structure but as a social phenomenon – they embed themselves, currently still very subtle, into our political and social system. Algorithms shape human behavior on various levels: they influence not only the aesthetic reception of the world but also the well-being and social interaction of their users. They act and intervene in a political and social context. As algorithms influence individual behavior in these social and political situations, their power should be the subject of critical discourse – or even lead to active disobedience and to the need for appropriate tools and methods which can be used to break the algorithmic power.
Quadflieg, Sven; Neuburg, Klaus; Nestler, Simon (Eds.) (2022): (Dis)Obedience in Digital Societies. Perspectives on the Power of Algorithms and Data. Bielefeld: Transcript
Political resistance is not only linked to content, but also to signs and images. Many of the demonstrations, protests, and political upheavals of recent years can be understood as large-scale performances in which iconic images, signs, speeches, and demands form the enduring image of the events – or a collage of these elements. As if in a society of spectacle, in an over-designed world in which protest has to assert itself between pop culture and brand capitalism, resistance itself also has to be spectacular and designed – so visual codes of protest often fit into a complex overall aesthetic picture. Based on the Serbian revolution of 2000, this book examines and documents the aesthetics of political protest and the presentation – the complex interplay in spatial and situational context, of action and reaction – of resistance.
Quadflieg, Sven (2021): Mit erhobener Faust. Die Ästhetik des Protests und die Inszenierung der serbischen Revolution. Hamburg: Adocs
After the territorial division of former Yugoslavia, the political and social turns as well as a rapid transformation from a socialist planned economy into a neoliberal market economy and high pressure of urban development met weak public institutions which had not yet adapted to the post-socialist and post-war order. New urban and architectural orders of varying scale bear witness to this development and are firmly rooted in the cityscape, both visually and structurally. With Gregor Theunes photographs as a visual starting point, Nadogradnje brings together a pictorial approach to urban landscapes and scientific positions by international authors of various disciplinary backgrounds in order to open a wide field of discourse on the Balkan’s informal architecture.
Quadflieg, Sven; Theune, Gregor (Eds.) (2016): Nadogradnje. Urban Self-Regulation in Post-Yugoslav Cities. Weimar: M Books
Impressions of past projects in the field of design and design theory. Visit quadflieg.studio to see commissioned work.
Prof. Dr. Sven Quadflieg
Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt
Marker Allee 76–78
59063 Hamm
+49 2381 8789-929
hallo[at]svenquadflieg.de