On 31 March 2026, Open AANT welcomed Silvio Lorusso, writer, artist, and designer, to the Academy for the presentation of his book The Designer Without Qualities. The event was moderated by Professor Gianna Angelini, AANT’s Scientific Director and Head of Internationalization.
At the centre of the discussion was a crucial question for contemporary design: 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 addresses this condition as a critical reflection on the figure of the contemporary designer. Through the concept of the “designer without qualities”, the author explores a less clearly defined design practice, suspended between creative autonomy and market dynamics, experimentation and precarity.
The discussion allowed students to engage with a view of the profession that was not celebratory, but lucid, critical, and deeply contemporary. Lorusso brought to the Academy a critical and interdisciplinary perspective, consistent with his role as faculty member at Lusófona University in Lisbon and tutor at the Design Academy Eindhoven. For undergraduate students, the event offered a valuable opportunity to question the identity, tools, and responsibilities of design today. The result was an intense meeting, capable of turning a book presentation into an exercise in critical awareness about the role of the designer.
