The Efficiency of Inefficiency

While industrialization and “modern” design have long been shaped by a paradigm of efficiency (optimization, acceleration, simplification, etc.), other dimensions of human practice are often overlooked. The research project “Effizienz der Ineffizienz” (The efficiency of inefficiency) at HfG Offenbach examines the tension between efficiency and inefficiency in design. Inefficiency is not understood merely as a deficit, but as a potentially productive condition—one that can open up spaces, create temporal pockets, disrupt routines, and enable new perspectives.

Building on theories of rationalization (Weber 1905), the excesses of efficiency as part of neoliberal design economies, and critical perspectives on acceleration and productivity (Rosa 2005, 2015; Han 2015), the project explores whether inefficiency itself can be understood as a form of efficiency—not in terms of increased productivity, but as an enabler of meaning, openness, freedom, and reflection. Socio-cultural theories (Bataille 1991; Illich 1973) provide counter-models to dominant logics of utility and exploitation, which are here examined as design-relevant frameworks. Inefficiency is thus reframed less as disruption and more as a resource beyond regimes of utility.

Based on this theoretical engagement with concepts of in-/efficiency and the critically reflected (post-)efficiency society, a series of design-research positions were developed. Their aim was not only to engage with theory discursively, but to test, concretize, and make it experientially tangible through critical-speculative and applied practice-based research. In this sense, design operates as a mediating instance between theory and practice.

Brick, Samuel Schön

One example is the project “(Not Just) Another Brick in the Wall” by Samuel Schön. It starts from the observation that the smartphone has shifted from a tool of connection to an artifact of social isolation. Through constant use, social media feeds, and notification-driven systems, it continuously captures our attention. Mechanisms borrowed from the gambling industry reinforce addictive patterns of engagement and contribute to a state of permanent sensory overload. Social media simulates closeness while often producing emotional distance and distraction. In reference to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” this generates the image of an invisible wall in which every interaction—like, swipe, or notification—becomes another brick in a structure of social alienation. The project translates this critique into a design intervention that encourages more conscious engagement with digital devices.

In the project “HUG” by Roman Jakowlew, a hybrid object combines a cushion and sleep mask to enable both a physical and symbolic form of withdrawal. The object acts as a counter-design to the logic of permanent availability, creating a protected space for retreat, recovery, and productive non-productivity. It is based on the idea that rest is not achieved through efficiency gains, but through deliberately allowed inefficiency. A gentle, even pressure on the forehead and skull has a calming effect and supports mental and physical relaxation through acupressure-like stimulation. At the same time, it signals non-availability to the outside while creating an insulated inner space free from external stimuli. HUG. functions as a quiet companion in everyday life, enabling intentional interruptions—during travel, between meetings, or in moments where no personal retreat space is available.

HUG, Roman Jakowlew

Project Team: Devin Can, Jonas Giese, Roman Jakowlew, Emil Navid Kirchgessner, Anna Kurfiß, Lotte Landgraf, Jan Schneider, Samuel Schön, Aranza Velasco Sanchez.

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling
Assistance: Susanne Wieland