SOCIAL DESIGN IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT-
THE SOCIAL DESIGN NETWORK
Design as a discipline stands in a unique and interesting crossroads. Faced with global changes such as climate crisis, mass migration, shifting political agendas and fast technological development, we believe designers must reframe and rethink the very role of designers in their socio–cultural and ecological context. We believe that the various approaches of social design hold the key to staying relevant in the coming future and bring back design to its influential stance in this rapidly shifting reality. However, this concept should be more than a marketing–oriented catchphrase, but rather a deep and meaningful call for change.
In 2020, the Social Design Research Group of MOME proposed the formation of a european network that would strengthen the bonds between academic (and later, non-academic) partners who are at the forefront of the theory and practice of social design. Besides creating a platform for HEIs to share their knowledge about social design, Social design Network aims to create wider exposure to this emerging field of design towards the general public too.
Hosted by MOME on 19–20 October 2020, the inaugural meeting and workshop took place online. During these two days MOME brought together eleven leading academies from eight countries, each presenting their own interpretation to social design in theory, practice and pedagogy.
The network’s purpose is to create an insightful venue to share knowledge, develop courses and projects, joint research as well as publish ideas that will shape the next generation of socially–oriented designers and creative change–makers. Our goal is to set up an international cohort of like-minded creative thinkers and doers of social design oriented HEIs, and to connect them to partners outside the design field, thus creating even more meaningful connections and solutions.
The network’s participants meet regularly (every 3 months) to work on a shared agenda, create funding opportunities and to design and create cross-country projects together.
Funding partners of Social Design Network:
– Central Saint Martins — University of the Arts London, London, UK
– Elisava — Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Barcelona, S
– Estonian Academy of the Arts, Tallinn, ET
– Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, IT
– Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, ISR
– Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, D
– Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest, HU
– Royal College of Art, London, UK
– Sint Lucas School of Art, Antwerpen, B
– Universität Der Künste, Berlin, D
– Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, NL
