ICoD issues a letter of support to the design research society (journal)

18.09.2023 Announcements

As part of ICoD's commitment to professional design standards and ethics, on 17 July 2023, ICoD issued a statement in support of the Design Studies (journal) editorial team. The letter was a refusal of corporate interventions that threatened to undermine the design research field as a foundation for the pursuit of critical thinking and transformation. We thought it was relevant to share with Members.

17 July 2023

Office of the ICoD Secretariat

Re: Statement by the International Council of Design (ICoD)

in support of the Design Studies editorial team

Dear Clare Readman,

We, at the International Council of Design (ICoD), hereby express our support for the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial team at Design Studies (journal) in their decision to refuse the unilateral, unprofessional actions on the part of the Dutch publishing house, Elsevier. As an international body that works to maintain standards and codes of professionalism in the practice of design, it is disturbing to witness corporate agendas that undermine the design research field as a foundation for the pursuit of critical thinking and transformation. By insisting on a change in leading staff and the conceptual scope of the journal, as well as giving an ultimatum for a seven-fold increase in output, Elsevier shows a lack of consensus-based decision-making, so central to rigour and ethics of the peer-review model of academic research.

The potential of design to ensure a future that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, culturally diverse and economically viable, has never been greater. At the same time, a lack of understanding of design is widespread. Effective design research — free of inappropriate pressures — is critical. Such research impacts the ethics of design practice and processes.

We applaud the Design Studies team for their commitment to principle and stand by them as they go forward.

With warm regards,

Ting Xu
President 2022-2024