Luis Garcia
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Luis Garcia
What is Design?
 

Research

 
 

Design from the Periphery: A Reckoning with Contradictions and Capabilities for Transitions in public design

This dissertation examines how design capabilities for systemic change are cultivated in contexts marked by institutional complexity and center–periphery dynamics. Across four interconnected inquiries—a ten-month collaboration with Quito’s municipal office for housing and land use policy, participatory workshops in international public-design networks, dialogues with twenty-nine Latin American designers and public actors, and an autoethnographic reflection—I argue that designing for transitions requires more than introducing methods or tools. It entails surfacing existing capabilities, negotiating contradictions that shape institutional life, and developing relational practices that enable collective action. The dissertation advances three conceptual contributions: (1) reframing power as structural and co-evolving; (2) recasting “ecologies of interventions” as ecologies of relational practices; and (3) characterizing institutionalization as both structural and affective. The dissertation also advances methodological insights by integrating regressive–progressive analysis, autoethnography, and dialogical approaches. Ultimately, it positions designing for transitions as a situated and collective project that emerges from within contradictions, expanding the possibilities for design research, pedagogy, and public-sector transformation.

 
 

Understanding the designer’s role in Latin American Public Sector Innovation Labs. Masters Thesis

This project explores Public Sector Innovation Labs (PSI Labs) in the Latin American context with a particular focus on designer’s contributions. PSI Labs provide a fantastic opportunity for governments to experiment and innovate how public services are delivered to citizens and improve public institutions’ operations. PSI Labs are becoming increasingly visible, but research has mainly focused on PSI Labs in Europe and North America. Moreover, research has also concentrated on PSI Labs as an institution but not on the people working in them. This thesis attempts to contribute to this growing body of research by studying the particularities of operating PSI Labs in Latin America and design/ers contributions in a space that, according to some proponents, can play an important role in addressing pressing social challenges. By engaging with designers and public servants from other disciplines through semi-structured interviews, this thesis presents insights and proposes future directions that could strengthen PSI Labs structures in Latin America and design contributions. Finally, research findings are synthesized in the form of a Giga map that includes the following themes: challenges, best practices, ideal conditions, expert design, learning opportunities for designers and other public servants, and qualities and expertise of people working in Latin American PSI Labs.

 
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Publications

 
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