On March 31, AANT – Academy of Arts and New Technologies in Rome hosted a new event in the OPEN AANT series, dedicated to engaging with key figures in the contemporary creative scene. The guest was Silvio Lorusso, writer, artist and designer, who presented his book “The Designer Without Qualities.”
At the core of the talk, moderated by Professor Gianna Angelini, Scientific Director and Head of Internationalization at the Academy, was a highly relevant question: what does it mean to practice design today, in a context where tools are increasingly accessible and the boundaries of the profession are becoming more fluid? Lorusso’s book fits into this scenario as a critical reflection on the role of the contemporary designer, highlighting contradictions, expectations and blind spots within the field.
Through the concept of the “designer without qualities,” the author explores a widespread condition: a less clearly defined design practice, suspended between creative autonomy and market dynamics, between experimentation and precarity. This analysis restores complexity to the designer’s role, emphasizing the need to rethink its identity, tools and responsibilities today. The event provided an opportunity for in-depth discussion and exchange for undergraduate students, offering useful perspectives to navigate the current design landscape.
About the speaker: Silvio Lorusso is a faculty member at Lusófona University in Lisbon and a tutor at the Design Academy Eindhoven, one of Europe’s leading institutions for design education. His work is characterized by a critical and interdisciplinary approach, addressing the transformations of design within the contemporary context.
