ACDHT: Asian Conference of Design History and Theory
We are pleased to announce the 6th international conference on design history and theory in Asia dealing with various design-related topics scheduled to be held once every other year. With the cooperation of a number of related associations and academic bodies, the conference will be held in parallel with eight groups regular meetings and an annual general meeting. A specific theme will be established for each conference, and the event will be defined by its relatively small scale and lack of a general session.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Design and Power
Design plays a significant role in shaping our world and influencing power dynamics. It can be a powerful and/or empowering tool for promoting peace and human welfare, as well as for local and global conflicts. The examples such as political posters, war propaganda materials, monuments, town planning and medical design, highlight how design can be used to either challenge or reinforce existing power structures, or to empower human well-being.
By exploring the relationship between design and power in the widest sense, we can gain a deeper understanding of how design influences political, economic, social, and cultural dynamics. Research on topics like design and peace, design and war, propaganda, -isms, class systems, geography, power balance in design industries, empowerment (in care and welfare), and the role of designers as workers, can provide valuable insights into the impact of design on society.
ACDHT 2025 OSAKA calls for research on 'design and power'. It presents an opportunity to delve into these complex issues and explore how design might be a force for positive change.
Keywords: design and peace/war, propaganda, architecture and power, -isms, class systems, geography and power, power balance in design industries, designers as workers, empowerment (in care and welfare).
All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the conference committee and the authors will be notified of the decision by the mid May 2025. If the abstract is accepted, the submitting author will be asked to present a 20-minute written paper in person at the conference (please note that the conference might be held “online,” depending on COVID-19 related circumstances.) After the conference, the authors are encouraged to submit journal-quality papers (approximately 3,000 words in English), which will be reviewed by the conference committee and, if accepted, published in The Journal of the Asian Conference of Design History and Theory (ISSN 2189-7155; electronic version only).
Please submit your abstracts by May 6, 2025. Each submission should contain the followings in the Microsoft Word file:
- 1) An abstract of approximately 300 words
- 2) Full contact details: author(s)’s name, affiliation, and email address
- 3) Author(s)’s short academic biography
Click here for Submission Form
PRESENTATION FORMAT
ACDHT 2025 OSAKA will be an international conference held on-site (face-to-face). All presentations will be oral presentations (face-to-face).
KEY DATES
- May 6, 2025:
- Deadline for app. 300-word English abstract
- July 31, 2025:
- Deadline for registration
- September 6-7, 2025:
- Conference at Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
- December 1, 2025:
- Deadline for app. 3.000-word English full paper
The electronic journal will be published after the conference.