Yours for now

When we, the authors, started to compile what became our book “118 Theories of Design[ing]” (Rodgers and Bremner, 2021) one of the first theories we wrote was “An Ultimate Theory of Design.” In this theory we concluded that if life and death are now just more consumer choices then design will need to consider its ultimate theory. But when we look at Giovanni’s necklace YOURS, which he explains is an invitation to reflect on the possibility of donating organs, then it becomes clear that the design of death isn’t the ultimate theory. How we humans are to die – the design of our death – is the penultimate theory of design. The ultimate theory of design becomes what is done with our dead bodies. We, the authors, then wondered whether this is simply what could be the 119th theory of design or is this – what happens to us after death – the foundation of all theories of designing?