The Square at DDW

From Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October, The Square, located within the Designing Society exhibition, will host short sessions by a range of organisations and design studios. From workshops and presentations to conversations and performances. Interested in taking part? Take a look at the programme below and sign up for the sessions that interest you!

Programme

Monday 19 October:

Braaf Brave Blijf - Workshop
How do you deal with underlying discomfort in complex processes of change? What needs to be said, but remains unspoken? Complex questions can sometimes become stuck because we shy away from friction and discomfort.

Organised by: PONT and De Nacht Club
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Click here for more information!

Tuesday 20 October:

Life After the Pilot: Embedding Change and Continuing to Design – Session
How can we embed learning through design within government? Bespreek Het! (Discuss It!) has helped bring about changes in workplace behaviour and culture around sustainability. We are now exploring a coalition based on cooperative principles, together with the A+O Fund. This will help ensure that learning and design remain part of the organisational structure.

We will briefly share what we have learned, followed by a discussion: what could this look like in practice, and where are the risks?

Organised by: Sustainable Collective Labour Agreement Pilot Programme for Central Government
Time: 11:00–12:00
Sign up by sending an email to: duurzamecao@minbzk.nl, quoting The Square 20 October.

Responsibilities in Public Design Practices – Workshop
As a designer, you move between residents and policy, clients and communities, research and intervention, systems and lived experience. When a project encounters friction, the question arises: who takes responsibility for what is needed right now?

Organised by: PONT, Must Stedebouw and Studio Berg
Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Click here for more information!

Wednesday 21 October:

Residents-in-the-loop: Co-deciding on AI in the City – Workshop
Curious about how to meaningfully involve residents in decisions about AI and technology in the city? Then come along to this workshop.

Organised by: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Studio Bits of Space
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Click here for more information!

Thursday 22 October:

Behavioural Insights for Change-Makers – Workshop
Are you working towards social change and curious about how to help people (colleagues, citizens, customers) embrace and adapt to that change? Then this workshop is for you!

Organised by: Ink Social Design
Time: 11:00 – 12:00
Click here for more information!

The Invisible Impact of Information and Communication Technology Across Central Government – Workshop

More than 165,000 civil servants work for central government in the Netherlands, and they all need digital devices. But how many of these devices are left unused in cupboards? And are we making full use of their lifespan?

The Central Government Sustainable Collective Labour Agreement Pilot Programme and innovation agency Slijpstof are working to reduce this waste. During this workshop, they will share the key lessons learned from the pilot. You will discover how to clear digital clutter, return unused devices, reduce waste in the information and communication technology supply chain, and optimise artificial intelligence prompts. You will learn which choices can help reduce hardware waste.

Organised by: Sustainable Collective Labour Agreement Pilot Programme for Central Government
Time: 14:00 - 15:00
Sign up by sending an email to: duurzamecao@minbzk.nl, quoting The Square 22 October.

Is a Design Approach Right for My Challenge? – Workshop
Are you working on social challenges and do you sometimes find yourself stuck because existing systems are holding back your progress or don’t truly meet people’s needs? Curious whether a different approach might work better for you? Join this workshop.

Organised by: PONT and Ink Social Design
Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Click here for more information!

Friday 23 October:

Systemic Narratives in Practice – Workshop
What enables projects to contribute to lasting change that extends beyond the lifespan of the project itself?

Organised by: EIT Culture & Creativity
Time: 15:00 - 16:00
Click here for more information!