Tau Ulv Lenskjold is a Ph.D. scholar at The Danish Design School.

In his Ph.D. project Tau Ulv Lenskjold studies design as critical praxis.  The project revolves around the concept of critical design. This concept emerged around the beginning of the new millennium to describe an undertow, a genre or an idea in the field of design that sprang from socially and politically involved movements with their roots in the design and art scene of the 1960s and 70s. These movements challenged existing design traditions by creating critical design that operated on artistic terms, questioning existing objects and social conditions. Critical artefacts are typically not mass-produced but lead an exhibition life in galleries and museums. Their very purpose is to question and challenge familiar notions about reality. Their form is not limited to physical objects but also includes video installations and similar approaches borrowed from the world of art.

In his Ph.D. project Tau Ulv Lenskjold examines the critical design tradition and attempts to grasp and define the concept of critical design. He also addresses how critical praxis can contribute to the way one works with and perceives design. He argues that critical design objects can be used in design processes as a methodological tool, for example in connection with large-scale projects aimed at co-design or participatory design. The critical artefacts can challenge the participants and shift their perceptions away from the conventional. The discussion about critical design helps develop a shared awareness. Thus, critical or speculative design can act as a constructive provocation that expands the boundaries of where the good design solution might be found.

Tau Ulv Lenskjold also examines the political motivation underlying critical design through a historical lens. From the post-war avant-garde movements over the rejection of the leading “isms” such as Capitalism and Modernism in the 1960s and 70s until the current time with its tendency for designers to expand their traditional field of work to include new areas, such as social design. As an example, Tau Ulv Lenskjold points to sustainability. Most agree that sustainability is a good thing, but what is good for some may prove bad for others. Therefore, critical design asks how, where, why and for whom sustainability is beneficial.

Tau Ulv Lenskjold teaches courses in critical design and design theory at The Danish Design School. The input that he receives from the students in his classes, for example in the course Home Sweet Home – fremtidens hjem, hjemmets fremtid (Home Sweet Home – the home of the future, the future of the home) for post-graduate students in autumn 2010, is incorporated into his research. He also aims to undertake empirical tests of critical design as a methodological tool in a larger, interdisciplinary design project and through field studies within institutions, designers and artists’ groups, and companies.

Tau Ulv Lenskjold graduated as an M.Sc. (IT) from the IT University of Copenhagen in 2004 and completed his basic training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in 2001.