Dosenradio / Tin Can Radio

In his position as a designer, Viktor Papanek’s aims and approaches were sensitive to social and ecological considerations. His seminal book Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change from 1971 remains one of the most widely read books about design ever published and includes a preface by his colleague and friend Buckminster Fuller. In the book, Papanek gave examples of how to reduce pollution, overcrowding, starvation and obsolescence in design. In his opinion, these modern ills could be controlled with the help of conscious product design, architecture and city planning, finally arguing for the importance of design in the digital age. Another of his famous designs, realized with the help of George Seeger, is Tin Can Radio, a radio made from discarded material that could be assembled few financial means in technically less-developed countries.