Martin Burckhardt writes: As society's traditional notions of work and authority are challenged by iterative design processes. The paradigm shift towards global scalability and productivity gains has led to conflicts of authority. Instead of relying on authorship or claims to power, authority arises from the common good and the increase in social value that we add. This new form of authority is both mindless and intersubjective, offering solutions that are socially acclaimed and valorized. As designers operate like scientists, constantly self-critiquing and questioning their hypotheses, they disarming planning sovereignty and decentralizing decision-making to users. This openness connects social sculpture with art, allowing for an open future where anything goes. Keywords: iterative design processes, authority, common good, scalability, productivity gains, paradigm shift, social sculpture, open-air social experiment, laboratory, social customs.
