Elín Margot is a designer and educator, currently pursuing a PhD in Design History at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Arts and Ideas at the University of Oslo.
Her research examines the ideological underpinnings and historical development of non-renewable material consumption in the Nordic region between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a focus on the influence of design narratives.
Her project investigates the trajectories of aluminium and steel in Norway and Sweden from their site of extraction and production through patterns of consumption and disposal, with the aim to identify the historical factors and the design practices that helped shape and increase the circulation of those newly accessible materials.
This extensive study attempts to improve our understanding of the intricate relationship of design, material use, and ecological impact, hoping to provide a new framework for assessing design’s influence on modernity and its lasting effects.