PLAY THE SYSTEM with Heike Grebin, Luna Maurer and Katharina Wanke

with Heike Grebin, Luna Maurer and Katharina Wanke in conversation at 6.30ppm

Design is rarely about the singular stroke of genius. It is about defining rules and shaping the framework within which form can emerge. As digital tools and algorithms increasingly shape creative practice, the designer’s role shifts — from designing individual products to developing systems.

Drawing on more than twenty years of teaching and research, and on the occasion of her book Play the System: Parametric Approaches in Graphic Design, published by Slanted Publishers, Heike Grebin reflects on design as a rule-based yet open process shaped by variation and external influences — a process that creates room for experimentation and surprise.

She demonstrates how the interplay of structure and variation has shaped design for centuries — from medieval scriptoria to today’s dynamic systems — and how it continues to inspire student work.

For this evening, Heike has invited Luna Maurer, who has significantly influenced her teaching concepts. Luna will discuss the evolution of her interests — from Conditional Design to Designing Friction, to her current exploration, Dance Out of Pattern.

Katharina Wanke, who provided editorial support for the project, will share insights into the book and the process behind it — including the connections between the publication and web version of the Play the System archive. She will also moderate the evening.

Play the System connects theory, teaching, and practice, and offers insight into the inspiring world of parametric design and beyond.