--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Design is not a politically or socially…" description: "\"“Design is not a politically or socially neutral space. Concepts are increasingly phenomena that mediate what kinds of relationships individual people,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/wendy-gunn-110033_engineering_design-is-not-a-politically-or-socially_2200764.jpg" --- # Design is not a politically or socially neutral space… ![“Design is not a politically or socially neutral space. Concepts are increasingly phenomena that mediate what kinds of relationships individual people, citizens, consumers, and users have with governments, corporations, and international bodies.” quote by Wendy Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/wendy-gunn-110033_engineering_design-is-not-a-politically-or-socially_2200764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/wendy-gunn-110033_engineering_design-is-not-a-politically-or-socially_2200764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/217/wendy-gunn-110033_engineering_design-is-not-a-politically-or-socially_2200764.jpg) > ““Design is not a politically or socially neutral space. Concepts are increasingly phenomena that mediate what kinds of relationships individual people, citizens, consumers, and users have with governments, corporations, and international bodies.”” Wendy Gunn ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design shapes power relations among individuals, governments, and corporations, never neutral **In simple terms:** Design influences social power Key Takeaway Recognize design's political impact Themes design politics power society Mood critical analytical Type Concepts:1 Design:1 Engineering:0 Politics:1 Politically Socially:0 Design Politically:0 Space Concepts:0 Concepts Increasingly:0 When to use this quote - public policy design - branding - user experience - urban planning Key Concepts social theory mediated relationships Questions to Reflect On - How does design reinforce authority? - Can design be truly neutral? A Different Perspective Design can be co-opted for propaganda ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [It is morally, politically and socially wrong for business as business or labor as labor to participate directly in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-romney/it-is-morally-politically-and-socially-wrong-for-business-as-business/) [George W. Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-romney/) > [Now the most comprehensive conception of this new world is of one politically, socially and economically united To this end a small but increasing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/now-the-most-comprehensive-conception-of-this-new-world-is-of-one/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [People who fundamentally disagree with you politically or socially are not bad people. I can't expect that other side to have compassion for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/people-who-fundamentally-disagree-with-you-politically-or-socially/) [Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/) > [The influences in my life were all kind of politically, socially implanted. And then there was Watergate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobe-hooper/the-influences-in-my-life-were-all-kind-of-politically-socially/) [Tobe Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobe-hooper/) > [I'm from a very politically and socially conscious family. My mother always made a point of making us look at what was going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/i-m-from-a-very-politically-and-socially-conscious-family-my-mother/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [For a physicist mathematics is not just a tool by means of which phenomena can be calculated, it is the main source of concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/for-a-physicist-mathematics-is-not-just-a-tool-by-means-of-which/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. 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A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More by Wendy Gunn > [“Tim Brown, the CEO of the international design and innovation firm IDEO, clearly acknowledges this affinity when he writes that designers need to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-gunn/tim-brown-the-ceo-of-the-international-design-and-innovation-firm/) Wendy Gunn Explore all 2 Wendy Gunn quotes ## More Concepts quotes > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. 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We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [To pray without expectation is to misunderstand the whole concept of prayer and relationship with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/to-pray-without-expectation-is-to-misunderstand-the-whole-concept-of/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) Browse all 2,468 Concepts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Design is not a politically or socially neutral space. 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