The Societal Impact of Applied Design Research

Join us at the interactive workshop where the results of the call for contributions “The Societal Impact of Applied Design Research” will be presented and discussed. This annual NADR event will take place on 21 October 2024 from 14.00 - 17.00 at the Skybar of the Microlab in Eindhoven, during the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.  Discussed topics of the Societal Impact of Applied Design Research will be: Connecting Systems Levels, Theory of Change, Limited ‘Makeability’ of Society, Balancing Different Worldviews and the Unique Value of Applied Design. Read more below! The outcomes will be included in an Open Access book publication, to be released in early 2025.

Programme 

13.00 - Welcome and introduction

- Chapter pitches (plenary)

- Workshops in smaller groups

17.00 - Wrap-up  and drinks

Register here to join!

1. Connecting System Levels 

For relatively short-term design research to contribute effectively to long-term changes in society, it is necessary to act at different system levels: materials, products, services, socio-technical ecosystems and society as a whole. At which level can design interventions take place, and what is the interrelationship between interventions at the different system levels? How can seemingly small design-based interventions achieve a profound societal impact?

2. Theory of Change 

What activities do design researchers carry out within the limits of their own sphere of influence? With what concrete results? How do these results contribute to certain outcomes (e.g. a major behavioural change of citizens, or the introduction of regenerative materials in a certain value chain) that lie outside the design researcher's direct sphere of influence? And what impact does this subsequently have on the social issue as a whole? In other words, what are the underlying Theories of Change and associated Impact Pathways of applied design researchers?

3. Limited ‘Makeability’ of Society 

Designers focus on changing an existing situation into a new, desired one. However, such a linear and solution-oriented approach may not work when dealing with complex societal transition processes. How do design researchers balance their optimistic desire to bring about positive change, with the limitations of controlling a complex and constantly evolving socio-technical ecosystem? In other words, how do design researchers respond to the limited 'makeability' of society?

4. Balancing Different Worldviews 

Applied design research requires the involvement of many different actors, each operating based on their specific worldviews and interpretive frameworks. But also the design researcher operates from a personal set of values and beliefs, whether consciously or unconsciously. What role do these underlying values and ideologies play when undertaking a design research initiative? How can consensus and collective responsibility be fostered? And what is the role of possible conflicting interests?

5. Unique Value of Applied Design

Within all these themes, the question remains: what is the unique added value of Applied Design? There is already a multitude of consultants, advisers and other experts focusing on society's complex issues. How can the designer's power of creativity and imagination be used to best effect? How can their unique expertise, aimed at synthesising seemingly contradictory and disconnected parts into a unique new whole, positively impact society?

Register here to join!