The designer in the 1980s— the deskiller deskilled

Abstract The reorganization of the design activity around computer-based systems will have profound effects upon the design community. The computer is already proving to be a Trojan Horse with which to introduce Taylorism into the design office. In consequence, there are strong indications of alienation, deskilling and subordination to the ‘machine’. There is still time to reverse this historical tendency, and to opt for human centred and enhancing systems which make full use of the ‘tacit knowledge’ of the designer.