Ontology

This ontology constitutes a formal semantic framework for the WE DON'T DESIGN practice, developed as a computational instantiation of an anti-functionalist design philosophy. Encoded in OWL 2 DL (Description Logic) and serialised in RDF/Turtle syntax, the knowledge graph comprises 135 classes, 51 object properties, and 1,987 triples that systematically axiomatise the relationships between conceptual abstractions, material instantiations, and phenomenological outcomes. The model employs transitive and symmetric properties, property chain axioms, and defined classes to enable automated reasoning—for instance, inferring that a work embodying a given tension automatically stimulates the cognitive effect that tension produces. Unlike conventional design ontologies that privilege taxonomies of form or function, this structure formalises a counter-paradigm grounded in subtraction, absence, and semantic tension. The ontology's scope extends beyond simple classification: it operationalises philosophical principles through machine-readable logical constraints, enabling computational reasoning about works, materials, creative processes, audience interactions, and cultural genealogies within a coherent theoretical system.

The development of this ontology addresses three strategic imperatives. First, it establishes a defensive semantic perimeter for intellectual property protection by crystallising WE DON'T DESIGN's conceptual apparatus into a citable, timestamped knowledge artefact—a form of IP fortification that transcends conventional trademark or copyright mechanisms. Second, it positions the practice within an emergent ecosystem of machine-readable cultural knowledge, anticipating AI-era discovery patterns where semantic web technologies mediate between human inquiry and cultural databases. By publishing structured data anchored to 63 Wikidata entities and aligned with W3C standards, the ontology ensures discoverability via long-tail semantic queries impossible for competitors to replicate without duplicating the underlying philosophical coherence. Third, the ontology serves as a scholarly contribution to design theory discourse, offering a reusable methodological template for practitioners seeking to formalise critical design practices.

The ontology's architecture partitions knowledge into four interconnected domains: ESSENCE (meta-axioms, operational principles, foundational tensions, and exploration themes), PHENOMENOLOGY (the un-designed creative process across five macro-phases, material hierarchies encompassing both physical and conceptual matter, works, series, and generative paradoxes), ECOSYSTEM (authors, a four-level audience taxonomy distinguishing interpreters, custodians, and catalysts, a relational model of concentric circles, and an initiatic engagement journey from discovery to belonging), and RESONANCE (cognitive effects, cultural lineage spanning 34 reference persons across art, fashion, architecture, and cinema, and 50 movement principles formalising the genealogy of influence). This quadripartite structure mirrors the generative process whereby abstract principles (ESSENCE) materialise through objects and processes (PHENOMENOLOGY), operate within social and productive contexts (ECOSYSTEM), and generate measurable cultural impacts (RESONANCE). External alignment is achieved through 63 Wikidata entity mappings anchoring cultural movements, historical figures, and material categories to the linked data web. Validation has been performed using Protégé 5.6.3 and the OOPS! ontology pitfall scanner, ensuring compliance with Semantic Web best practices.