Abstract
Design in Mexico, often disconnected from the local industry value chain, has long relied on arte popular as a self-referential cultural narrative to add value, establish identity, and find its “substance.” While this practice stems from a genuine search for rootedness and authenticity, it frequently leads to stagnation, raises concerns about cultural appropriation, neo-colonial dynamics between designers and craftspeople, neglect of functionality, and lack of innovation. This paper critiques this and proposes a framework for defining functionality, rooted in Mexican philosophy as an alternative value system. Drawing on thinkers such as Emilio Uranga and Grupo Hiperión’s work, it identifies parallels that reveal a more nuanced understanding of the Mexican condition, marked by ambiguity, contradiction, and in-betweenness. Concepts such as relajo, zozobra, and accidentality are reconsidered as epistemological foundations that challenge modernist rationalism. From this perspective emerges Función-Nepantla, redefining functionality beyond utilitarian logic, as illustrated through La Caja de Toques.
Keywords
mexico, philosophy, critical design, design in mexico, global south, decolonization, Design Value Systems
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.342
Citation
de la O, J. (2026) Función-Nepantla: The “Other” Functionality Inspired by Mexican Philosophy for Rethinking Industrial Design in Mexico, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.342
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Función-Nepantla: The “Other” Functionality Inspired by Mexican Philosophy for Rethinking Industrial Design in Mexico
Design in Mexico, often disconnected from the local industry value chain, has long relied on arte popular as a self-referential cultural narrative to add value, establish identity, and find its “substance.” While this practice stems from a genuine search for rootedness and authenticity, it frequently leads to stagnation, raises concerns about cultural appropriation, neo-colonial dynamics between designers and craftspeople, neglect of functionality, and lack of innovation. This paper critiques this and proposes a framework for defining functionality, rooted in Mexican philosophy as an alternative value system. Drawing on thinkers such as Emilio Uranga and Grupo Hiperión’s work, it identifies parallels that reveal a more nuanced understanding of the Mexican condition, marked by ambiguity, contradiction, and in-betweenness. Concepts such as relajo, zozobra, and accidentality are reconsidered as epistemological foundations that challenge modernist rationalism. From this perspective emerges Función-Nepantla, redefining functionality beyond utilitarian logic, as illustrated through La Caja de Toques.