From polarisation to innovation
The world faces significant challenges. Climate change, technological developments, social inequality, and geopolitical tensions. These are issues that touch the very foundation of our society. To truly change course, we must let go of ingrained patterns and place shared values at the centre: a sustainable, social society and a habitable planet for future generations.
While the world seems to be polarising further, the need to tackle these transitions together is, fortunately, growing just as rapidly. DDF sees an important task here: bringing together our networks from different sectors into an active community of social innovators.
The power of social innovators
By social innovators, we mean designers, subject matter experts, and commissioners—challenge owners, as we call them. Those who demonstrate that change begins with the will to do things differently. Their creativity, determination, and willingness to break the status quo are a source of inspiration. They are optimists and go-getters who dare to dream of a better future. They are curious about a journey that deviates from established paths. They recognise the power of design for change. They know that solutions are not always immediately apparent but have the courage to search, try, and persevere.
From relationships in the design world to government, and from science to business, we know many pioneers across sectors. And we want to get to know many more. We are therefore seeking thinkers and doers with a shared mission to transform entrenched issues into opportunities. Each one social innovators who play a key role in creating new pathways. Through Coalitions, Dutch Design Foundation will focus on connecting, strengthening, and making these innovators visible so they can achieve more together in the quest for dreamed futures.
A new chapter
At Dutch Design Foundation, we are proud of our contribution to social change thus far. In the previous coalition agreement, it was mentioned that the creative industry must be involved in complex societal challenges. With programmes such as De Publieke Ontwerppraktijk (ed. The Public Design Practice, or PONT), World Design Embassies, and What if Lab, we have worked hard on this in recent years. We now challenge ourselves to do and develop what we believe is necessary to help accelerate today’s transition issues. Coalitions will therefore build on the core qualities of World Design Embassies and What if Lab and, as part of Dutch Design Foundation, will drive the deployment of a design-based approach to societal challenges alongside PONT.
Co/Labs
In the current coalition agreement of our ruling government, the word ‘innovation’ appears 85(!) times as a way to solve societal problems. By combining the methodology of What if Lab and the network of World Design Embassies in Coalitions, we offer concrete handles for innovative change trajectories in organisations with societal challenges. We want to achieve valuable coalitions between the design sector and challenge holders on a large scale for the much-needed social changes. We will do this initially by offering concrete collaboration trajectories: Co/Labs. Through substantive masterclasses and guided design processes, design teams will be prompted to conceive, develop, test, and validate new perspectives and concepts.