Assembling Design Atlases

Abstract

This article develops the concept of the ‘design atlas’ from the study of Aby Warburg’s Atlas Mnemosyne and atlas-based practices in design, with the aim of expanding practices in design, architecture, and the arts. The design atlas is presented as a methodological apparatus that articulates remembrance and imagination, supporting imagery work, the organization of visual references, the emergence of constellations of meaning, and envisioning. Based on the analysis of Warburg’s work and four design atlases, the article highlights the processual, relational, and open-ended character of atlas-based practices, revealed through cycles of assembling, disassembling, and reassembling visual references. Finally, methodological suggestions are proposed for the assembly of design atlases in exploratory, speculative, and scenaristic research and design processes.