Open Call: Survival
Photograph by Åsa Sjöström, commissioned for ‘Risk Assessment’ in Disegno #14.
For our spring 2025 edition, Disegno is commissioning an issue of the journal focused on the theme of Survival in design.
The issue will launch in April 2025 and we are now accepting pitches for stories. We are searching for articles that illustrate contemporary design’s social, political, industrial and environmental impact, and which can explore the field’s significance in a manner that is engaging, enjoyable, and can welcome broad audiences into debates surrounding design.
Interpretations of the theme of survival may include, but are not limited to, issues of climate; the adaptation of institutions and typologies to meet contemporary challenges; preservation of traditional knowledge systems or making techniques; and strategies for extending the lifespan of objects and systems.
We aim to strike a range of different tones throughout our issues. Although the topic of survival could easily be interpreted pessimistically, and we welcome pitches that deal with challenging and serious themes, we are also looking for stories that may be humorous or optimistic, and which can strike a different tone.
Across the board, we want stories that ground their ideas about survival in a clear, contemporary project(s) or topic(s) of relevance to design. We welcome broad engagement with issues within design, but appreciate this being couched in concrete examples – pitches that have a clear case study will be prioritised during selection.
We are open to pitches from writers and photographers, but also from designers who believe that their work would be relevant to the theme. More detailed information as to what we are looking for follows below, as well as some general advice for pitches.
The open call will close on 1 November. Please send all pitches to Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford on oli@disegnojournal.com.
Writers
We are looking for pitches for 2,000-word articles that provide different interpretations of survival in design, which should be linked to specific projects and issues from contemporary design disciplines.
In a similar vein to our autumn 2024 issue, we are seeking essays that are not overtly journalistic in tone, but which are instead driven by narrative and creative engagement with their topic – the essays should read as non-fiction short stories.
While the essays should be grounded in journalistic techniques (thorough research; interviews with practitioners; and a clear desire to communicate complex issues within contemporary design to their readership), we value stories and writing that have an editorial value beyond this.
We are seeking pitches that can use personal experience of design to illuminate the field’s broader social and political structures through compelling, accessible narratives. The best pitches will pair close examination of design with a wide-ranging understanding of its broader societal impact.
We pay £300 for essays and cover reasonable expenses. Writers should expect at least two rounds of careful edits, and they will also receive free copies of the magazine once it’s published.
Photographers
We are looking for pitches for image-led stories that provide different interpretations of survival in design, linked to specific projects and issues from contemporary design disciplines.
We are open to all types of photography, but are looking for ideas that engage with the theme and which creatively explore the potential for visual storytelling.
We are open to photoessays, reportage, still-life and any other formats that allow for thoughtful engagement with a topic.
Proposals for image galleries within the issue are welcome, and we are open to publishing pre-existent bodies of work where there is a clear relevance to the topic.
We pay £300 for image-led stories and cover reasonable expenses. Photographers should expect to submit an edit from which a final selection will be made by Disegno’s creative directors, and they will also receive free copies of the magazine once it’s published.
Designers
We welcome proposals from designers who believe that their work provides an interesting perspective on the topic of survival.
Potential projects may come from any design field. The final issue should display a wide range of different design disciplines and outcomes, and so we welcome proposals of all kinds.
We are open to developing a story with designers, and pairing them with a writer and photographer to create writing and imagery around their work. If you believe your work is worthy of coverage, we want to hear from you.
We are specifically looking for design projects that would reward close study and analysis in terms of survival, and which may touch upon issues that are of relevance to all working in the field.
General advice for pitches
Disegno covers all design disciplines, as well as fields that sit outside of design, but clearly impact upon it, such as policy or sociology. We welcome pitches that deal with topics and projects that fall outside of recognised design fields, but will require an explanation as to why they are of relevance to a design audience. To get a better idea of the kind of stories we commission, you can pick up a copy of our autumn 2024 issue.
We publish both established and emerging writers and photographers, so do not hesitate to pitch to us if you are just starting out. If your idea is strong, we will be happy to work with you to develop it.
We will advertise future pitch call-outs on our newsletter, and you can sign up here.
The best pitches will include:
An explanation of why your idea would be of interest to a design audience.
A clear contemporary project or theme in which broader discussion can be anchored.
Consideration of how text and images might work together in the piece: photographers should consider what text might accompany their work, just as writers should consider what imagery could be used or commissioned to illustrate their texts.
Writers should include examples of people they would interview and research they would include, and provide context about their personal relationship with the topic where relevant.
The open call will close on 4 November 2024.