In his project, Jan Michaelsen explored capitalism.

One topic was the relationship between capitalism and democracy. These two systems are largely incompatible, as political equality only goes hand in hand with economic equality: who has the time and resources (money, energy) to educate themselves politically and set their own political goals and needs? In a capitalist society, these resources are also unevenly distributed.

Another point is the reconciliation of anti-capitalism and design. Mara Recklies sums it up in her essay On the Difficult Relationship Between Design and Capitalism: “Design gives capitalism that magical sparkle that doesn't look at all like misery, exploitation, and catastrophe.” ¹ This statement reflects what the student has felt in recent years and what has prevented him from perceiving himself as a designer. Design largely follows capitalist logic, and even supposedly “anti-capitalist” alternatives, such as sustainable products or non-profit work, ultimately aim to sell or further exploit through low-paid labor.

In her essay, Recklies also speculates about possible ways out of capitalism, but admits that she does not know of any functioning ‘exit strategy’. Anti-capitalist work in a capitalist system is a major challenge. A revolution must take place in many small steps, and the first would be to work in a way that is critical of capitalism, even if one operates in a capitalist environment.