Figure 1: Law, designed. Image (c) Amanda Perry-Kessaris, 2014.
A diverse array of scholars and practitioners are working at the intersections of law and design. However, this work is generally fragmented and under-theorised.
Law and Design: A pragmatic approach, contracted for publication by Routledge, addresses that gap by:
- Surfacing classical pragmatism as a shared ancestor of law and of design;
- Developing a novel pragmatic framework for exploring how, when, where, why, and by and for whom, designerly knowledge and techniques are and ought (not) to be used to address lawyerly concerns; and
- Addressing both legal practice and legal inquiry.
It draws on insights from original collaborative academic and social experimentation, including:
- Legal futures though The Horniman Museum and Gardens (ongoing) with Elen Stokes, supported by Socio-Legal Studies Association Research Grant.
- Enlivening legal education through The Postal Museum (ongoing) with Emily Allbon and Susannah Coster, in partnership with The Postal Museum. Supported by Kent Law School Research Investment Fund.
- Design-driven approaches to policy-making on land use and ownership in Malawi (ongoing) with Cyprian Kambili and Nebert Chirwa. Supported by International Science Partnerships Fund.
- Bristol legal futures (2024) with Elen Stokes.
- String theory (2025)
- Edinburgh Legal Theory Bazaar (2023).
- Fantasy legal exhibitions (2023) with Victoria Barnes. Supported by SLSA Seminar Fund and Kent Law School.
The hope is that this book will act as a vibrant and resilient bridge between law and design disciplines, supporting the responsible advancement of thinking and practice in the field.
Funding statement
This project is funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (RF-2026-133\8).
See further
Emily Allbon and Amanda Perry-Kessaris eds. (2022) Design in legal education Routledge. [Full Text Chapter 1]
Amanda Perry-Kessaris (2021) Doing sociolegal research in design mode Routledge. [Chapter 1 Author Accepted Manuscript]
Amanda Perry-Kessaris 