Performing Messiness

Design Pushing Back Against Standards and Structure

Staged clutter in interior spaces, chaotic layered looks in fashion, and movements like Brat, Mindful Mess, and Post-Perfect all point to the same shift: disorder is currently being reimagined. In a world driven by efficiency, messiness is emerging as an inspiring and liberating attitude that makes space for mistakes, coincidences and new ideas. In my qualitative research, I explored the potential that performing messiness holds for design. The resulting MESS ZINE series challenges the logics of standardisation and optimisation embedded in rationalised, digital- and AI-driven design practices

Autor:innen
Nadja Schmidle
Jahr
2026
Studiengang
MA
Fachrichtung
Trends & Identity
Themen
Messiness, Editorial Design, Experiment
«Performing Messiness» by Nadja Schmidle. © ZHdK.
«Performing Messiness» by Nadja Schmidle. © ZHdK.