Are We Human? Colomina & Wigley

This representative work of contemporary design thought poses a fundamental question: "What is human?" is not the question, but rather, "Have we not become human through design?"

Architectural historians and theorists Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley reframe the history of humanity, from the first tools and decorations to smartphones, social media, and even artificial intelligence, as a continuous history of "design." Our daily lives are covered by multiple layers of design—our bodies, thoughts, cities, and even the global scale—to the extent that it is no longer possible to stand outside of design. This book illustrates this fact on a grand scale.

Traversing human activity from hundreds of thousands of years ago to modern society dominated by interfaces, this book archaeologically and philosophically analyzes the relationship between the human brain and artifacts. It demonstrates, with abundant illustrations and keen insights, that design is not merely "the act of creating forms," but rather a continuous endeavor to constantly redesign humanity itself.

This book, which intersects design, architecture, technology, media theory, and philosophy, offers a new perspective for understanding contemporary society. It is a thought-provoking bestseller recommended for anyone involved in design, as well as all readers who wish to consider "what it means to be human" in the age of AI.