Unteidig Andreas HSLU DFK

Prof. Dr. Andreas Unteidig Andreas Unteidig

Co-Head MA Design

Unteidig Andreas HSLU DFK

Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art​

Nylsuisseplatz 1
6020 Emmenbrücke


MA Design

Co-Head MA Design

Artistic Professor

+41 41 248 62 77

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Biography

Andreas Unteidig is a design researcher working at the intersection of academia and applied research.

At HSLU, he co-leads the MA Eco-Social Design and conducts research projects on socio-ecological transformation as a member of the Competence Center Design & Management. Actively engaged in academic networks and organizations, Andreas serves as co-director of the Social Design Network and as a board member of both the German Society for Design Theory & Research (DGTF) and the Swiss Design Network.

Previously, he co-directed the MA program in Transformation Design at Braunschweig University of the Arts (HBK) and led the “Inequality and Digital Sovereignty” research group at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society in Berlin, where he remains an affiliated researcher.

Andreas has consulted for organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Instagram, WhatsApp, and GIZ. He holds a Dr. Phil. from the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and studied design at the Köln International School of Design (KISD) and Parsons/The New School.

Projects

Research projects

  • IDN – Trade-offs in Accelerating the Energy Transition
  • IDN - Eco-Social Design for Urban Sustainability Transitions
  • Collaborative Exploration in Eco-Social Design: Fostering Cross-Cultural Insights (XPLORE-ESD)
  • REASSESSING THE SOCIAL
  • PhD Programme ‘Eco-Social Innovation by Design’

Publications and presentations

Publications and presentations - Artistic, art-related work/art and design

  • Calderón-Lüning, Elizabeth; Herlo, Bianca; Irrgang, Daniel; Joost, Gesche & Unteidig, Andreas (2022). PRACTICING SOVEREIGNTY. INTERVENTIONS FOR OPEN DIGITAL FUTURES. Weizenbaum Conference & Exhibition 2022 [Konferenz und Ausstellung]. Alte Münze, Berlin. https://sovereignty.weizenbaum-institut.de/events/weizenbaum-conference-june-9-10th/
  • Unteidig, Andreas; Reiter, Lutz; Lamoncha, Fabrizio & Domínguez Cobreros, Blanca (2019). Polylogue I. Interactive Installation. Speculum Artium 2016. Trbovlje, Slovenia. [Ausstellung]. Speculum Artium Trbovlje. https://speculumartium.si/wp21/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/speculum_artium_2016_katalog.pdf
  • Unteidig, Andreas (2016). Polylogue I [Exhibition]. Radical Networks Conference 2016. Chemistry Creative, Brooklyn NY. [Ausstellung]. Brooklyn, NY. https://radicalnetworks.org/archives/2016/
  • Unteidig, Andreas & Reiter, Lutz (2016). Oracles/Polylogue II. Interactive Installation at the Greek Pavillon. 15th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice. [Interaktive Ausstellung]. Venedig.

Publications and presentations - Book/catalogue

  • Unteidig, Andreas; Herlo, Bianca & Pierri, Paola (Hrsg.). (2025). Reassessing the Social: Understanding Transformation. Proceedings of the Social Design Network Conference 2025. Emmenbrücke: Hochschule Luzern – Design Film Kunst (HSLU DFK).
  • Herlo, Bianca; Irrgang, Daniel; Joost, Gesche & Unteidig, Andreas (Hrsg.). (2022). Practicing sovereignty: digital involvement in times of crises. Bielefeld: Transcript.
  • Herlo, Bianca; Irrgang, Daniel; Joost, Gesche & Unteidig, Andreas (Hrsg.). (2021). Practicing Sovereignty: Digital Involvement in Times of Crises. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
  • Joost, Gesche; Bredies, Katharina; Christensen, Michelle; Conradi, Florian & Unteidig, Andreas (Hrsg.). (2016). Design as research: Positions, arguments, perspectives. Basel: Birkhäuser.

Publications and presentations - Article, review; peer reviewed

  • Fink, Karin; Mohapatra Das, Shilpa; Unteidig, Andreas & Thappa, Sahil (2025). Navigating the Lowlands: Toward a Literacy Framework for Eco-Social Design Education. Proceedings of the Social Design Network Conference 2025, 362-368. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17559020.
  • Keysar, Hagit; Calderón-Lüning, Elizabeth & Unteidig, Andreas (2022). Prototypes as agents of transition: The case of DIY wireless technology for advancing community digital sovereignty. Journal for Peer Production, 2022(15: Transition),
  • Gaved, Mark; Calderón-Lüning, Elizabeth; Unteidig, Andreas; Davies, Gareth & Stevens, James (2019). Power, roles and adding value: reflecting on the challenges of bridging across research and action on an international community networking project. Proceedings of the Community Informatics Research Network Conference 2019.,
  • Smyth, Michael; Helgason, Ingi; Kresin, Frank; Balestrini, Mara; Unteidig, Andreas; Lawson, Shaun; Gaved, Mark; Taylor, Nick; Auger, James; Koefoed Hansen, Lone; Schuler, Douglas; Woods, Mel & Dourish, Paul (20.04.2018). Maker Movements, Do-It-Yourself Cultures and Participatory Design: Implications for HCI Research. CHI EA '18: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018, 1-7. doi: 10.1145/3170427.31706
  • Herlo, Bianca; Unteidig, Andreas; Jonas, Wolfgang & Gaziulusoy, Idil (2017). Perspectives on socially and politically oriented practices in design. The Design Journal, 20(sup1), S4710-S4713. doi: 10.1080/14606925.2017.1352969
  • Calderón-Lüning, Elizabeth; Domínguez Cobreros, Blanca; Joost, Gesche & Unteidig, Andreas (2017). Digital commons, urban struggles and the role of Design. The Design Journal, 20(Sup1), 3106-3120.

Publications and presentations - Article, review; not peer reviewed

  • Zoels, Jan-Christoph; Fink, Karin & Unteidig, Andreas (2023). Three Choices. Nummer 11: Update Available. Transforming Education in Design, Film and Fine Arts, 94-96.

Publications and presentations - Chapter/legal commentary/lexicon article

  • Hebert, Saskia & Unteidig, Andreas (2021). How to Act. In Michael Erlhoff; Maziar Rezai (Hrsg.), Design and Democracy. Activist Thoughts and Examples for Political Empowerment. (S. 95-103). Basel: Birkhäuser.
  • Herlo, Bianca; Unteidig, Andreas & Joost, Gesche (2018). Community Now? Conflicts, Interventions, New Publics. Unfrozen – a Design Research Reader by the Swiss Design Network Zürich: Triest Verlag.
  • Joost, Gesche & Unteidig, Andreas (2015). Design and social change: The changing environment of a discipline in flux. In Wolfgang Jonas (Hrsg.), Transformation Design. Perspectives on a New Design Attitude. (S. 134-148). Basel: Birkhäuser.

Publications and presentations - Report/working paper

  • Schröder, Jan; Unteidig, Andreas; Bombart, Diane; Diaz Mendoza, Jose Eduarto & Galeano Colonia, Angela (2025). Toolkit to Strengthen Multi-Level Governance in Crisis-Affected Settings (Bericht). United Nations Development Programme, New York.

Publications and presentations - Theses (Bachelor/Master/Dissertation/Habilitation)

  • Unteidig, Andreas (2018). Vom Werk zum Werkzeug. Zur Rolle des Designs im Kontext politischen Handelns.. Dissertation, Universität der Künste Berlin, Deutschland.

Publications and presentations - Presentation (conference/report/lectures)

  • Unteidig, Andreas (27.11.2025). Design als Gegenvorschlag. Festrede zur Verleihung des Kölner Designpreis 2025. Kölner Designpreis 2025, Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln.
  • Unteidig, Andreas (03.11.2025). Zukünfte verhandeln. Zu Imperativen und Literacies im Design. Reimagine Voting – Wählen neu gedacht, Hamburg.
  • Herlo, Bianca & Unteidig, Andreas (10.04.2025). The Future of the Knowledge Commons. Who Owns Free Knowledge? Examining Power, Platformization, and the Promise of the Commons, Weizenbaum Institute Berlin.
  • Autuori, Antonella; Gobbo, Beatrice; Terenghi, Ginevra & Unteidig, Andreas (04.12.2024). Physicalizing Research. Comparing Approaches in Participatory Environments (Moderation). Swiss Design Network Symposium 2024, ECAL Lausanne.
  • Fink, Karin; Prof. Dr. Das, Shilpa & Unteidig, Andreas (21.11.2024). XploreESD: Collaborative Exploration in Eco-Social Design – Fostering Cross-Cultural Insights. Social Design Network Member Meeting, ELISAVA Barcelona.
  • Unteidig, Andreas (24.05.2024). Practicing Digital Sovereignty: Rehearsal Spaces & Time Machines. Prompting the Future – Art Schools as Agents between Digitality and Society, Luzern.
  • Csernak, Janka & Unteidig, Andreas (15.05.2024). Equity & Diversity // Ways of Living Together (Track Chairs). Cumulus Budapest 2024 – (P)References of Design, Budapest.
  • Harles, Lynn; Weigand, Ines; Plaisier, Glenn & Unteidig, Andreas (27.04.2024). Exploring the Unknown (Track Chair). DGTF2023: Design als Wagnis – Risiken und Wirkungen der Gestaltung, Luzern.
  • Bohaumilitzky, Frieder; Mehl, Johanna & Unteidig, Andreas (26.04.2024). Impact and Measurement (Track Chair). DGTF2023: Design als Wagnis – Risiken und Wirkungen der Gestaltung., Luzern.
  • Unteidig, Andreas (10.11.2023). Sustainable Impact vs. Project Logic: Redefining Success in Social Design (Session Chair). Social Design Network Conference 2023, Budapest.
  • Fink, Karin & Unteidig, Andreas (29.03.2023). Navigating a safe and just space: Literacies for Eco-Social Design. String Figures – By Design or by Desaster Conference 2023, Silandro.
  • Doering, Christopher; Fink, Karin; Ramseier, Claudia; Unteidig, Andreas & Zoels, Jan-Christoph (01.06.2022). Eco-Social Innovation by Design - Exploring Potential Contributions to Sustainability Transitions in an International PhD and a Master´s Degree Program. DGTF 2022: Design x Sustainability, Kiel.

Achievements - Commissions, memberships and external activities

  • Unteidig, Andreas. Board Member. (2024). Deutsche Gesellschaft für Designtheorie & - Forschung.
  • Unteidig, Andreas. Board Member. (2024). Swiss Design Network.
  • Unteidig, Andreas. Co-Director. (2024). Social Design Network.