How Design Works | Dutch Design Week 2026

On Friday, 23 October 2026, Dutch Design Foundation (DDF), together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and RVO, will host How Design Works.

How Design Works is a programme exploring the role of design in innovation, entrepreneurship and societal transitions. The second edition takes place as part of Mission Day: Equal Society during Dutch Design Week 2026.

What can you expect?

In 2026, the focus is on Design & Integrated Innovation: how can design help ensure that technological innovation is not only functional, but also meaningful, usable, accepted and sustainable within society?

Designers connect technology with societal values, behaviour and the contexts in which innovations are applied. During How Design Works, we bring together designers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers and businesses to share concrete cases and insights into the role of design in innovation and societal embedding.

The programme includes contributions from:

Tiara Spalburg, Innovation Designer at Alliander, moderates the conversation with, among others, Bart Ahsmann, Director of CLICKNL, Lonneke Zuidwijk, Director of Real Estate at Heijmans, Robert Bronwasser, designer of the Infinity office chair, Bob Hendrikx of Loop Biotech and Albert Maas, CEO of Avular.

From different perspectives, they share their experiences and insights into the role of design in innovation. How can technological development be connected to societal values and needs? And what does it take for new technologies to truly become embedded in society?

After the talk show, join the Mission Days networking lunch, bringing together more than 400 designers, researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers. In the afternoon, we will explore DDW exhibitions by entrepreneurial designers during a guided design tour. Participants in the tour will receive a DDW wristband, providing access to DDW for the rest of the week.

There are two ways to take part in How Design Works:

• The morning programme (programme + lunch)

• The full-day programme (morning programme, lunch and tour)

You can select your preference when registering.