During Salvador Allende's tenure as president (1970–73), graphic and product design in Chile expressed powerful socialist messages of solidarity and social cohesion. This volume looks at a range of innovative items made in this era, from affordable objects designed for popular circulation such as TVs, record players and chairs, and the innovations behind them, to the visual iconography of protest.

The presentation of these works is structured around "how to" themes such as how to design a peaceful road to socialism; how to address child poverty; how to implement material justice; how to deploy politics in the street; how to improve everyday life; how to nationalize technological innovation; how to design universities connected to the community; how to democratize transportation; and how to foster literacy through book design.

How to Design a Revolution makes an exemplary case of an extraordinary era for both socialist and design history. Fifty years after the civil-military coup d’état that put an end to democracy in Chile, and with it these design initiatives, the book provides a reminder of Latin America’s transformative capacity and offers an opportunity for reflection and creative inspiration.

Edited by Hugo Palmarola, Eden Medina, and Pedro Alonso

Designed by Yazmín Jiménez

Published by Lars Müller, 2024

Softcover, 336 pages, 403 color and b&w images, 6.5 × 9.5 inches

ISBN: 978-3-03-778733-5