Design for social innovation

Within this elective, students will engage with and study different ways of addressing contemporary societal challenges, and investigate how design can play a role in this. This course is inviting students from a variety of backgrounds (e.g., Industrial Design, Built Environment, Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences), who are interested in the role innovation and design can plan in addressing societal challenges.

During this course, we will introduce various paradigm shifts that have taken place during the past century. We will introduce a wide range of existing approaches supporting designing for transformation and systemic change. Students will study these approaches based on literature, and translate / visualise the found information into an infographic. We will invite social entrepreneurs and experts to share their experiences and perspectives on social innovation.

Students will explore how to bring the theory and approaches in practice via a design assignment. First individually and then in teams, students will study, analyse, and map local socio-environmental challenges by using ethnographic observations and mapping. Guided by the literature-based approach and methodology as well as the ethnography-based analyses and insights, students to carry out a short design project for social innovation.

During the entire process, the student log their position statements, processes, output, decisions, and reflections

• Gain knowledge on various societal paradigms and existing design approaches aimed at transformation and systemic change, to address societal challenges and boosts social innovation
• Reflect on societal challenges and the role of design in addressing these challenges, as well as your own position in this field
• Experience transforming practices by running a short design project
• Use ethnographic methods, to identify and analyse societal challenges
• Relate multi-faceted transformation processes through mapping, by positioning various existing things, practices, stakeholders and organisations working on designing for systemic change on this map
• Create infographics to inform, inspire, and stimulate discussions among multiple actors with various perspectives

You must meet the following requirements

• Trotto, A., Hummels, C., Levy, P., Peeters, J., van der Veen, R., Yoo, D., Johansson, M., Johansson, M., Smith, M., & van der Zwan, S. (2021). Designing for Transforming Practices: Maps and Journeys. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven.
• Gardien, P., Djajadiningrat, T., Hummels, C., & Brombacher, A. (2014). Changing your hammer: The implications of paradigmatic innovation for design practice. International Journal of Design, 8(2), 119-139.
• Most of the course materials and publications will be provided during the course. The papers below give more insight in the direction this course takes towards social innovation.
• Brand, R., & Rocchi, S. (2011). Rethinking value in a changing landscape: a model for strategic reflection and business transformation. Philips Design internal document.