Conference Agenda

This paper introduces the concept of ‘Transformational Practises’ as a prospective design-led integrative space to conduct multidisciplinary research aiming at ex-ceptionally innovative and/or unconventional research aiming for a high trans-formational impact. Based on a range of selected examples, the authors underpin the fundamental principles of this new framework to propose a criteria to assess prospective and multidisciplinary design-led transformations. In the process, it places design as a distinctive and fundamental activity to develop transforma-tional impact in research that aligns the applied arts (arts and design), with the prospective sciences (e.g., AI and synthetic biology), and prospective sociology (e.g., economics and policy). Finally, it combines the concepts of structured ad-versarial collaborations, knowledge vectors, and transformational practises met-rics to integrate this area into established models of academic assessment.

As urban policy and governance challenges become increasingly complex, inter-disciplinary approaches and participatory methodologies are essential. The evolv-ing role of design affects the way it is practiced in these contexts. Instead of sole-ly providing solutions, designers are now expected to connect, navigate, and fa-cilitate collaboration between stakeholders from different public sector organi-zations. This paper aims to explore how multi-organizational design facilitation can contribute to addressing complex urban challenges, fostering and accelerat-ing adoption of sustainable solutions. We delve into three concepts that under-pin the creative facilitation process: the design mindset, futures thinking and ex-perimental attitude. The context of this study is a big European project in which 12 cities collaborate and experiment aiming to solve specific urban challenges. The paper argues for design facilitation to bridge gaps between diverse stake-holders, encourage co-creation, and facilitate the development of innovative so-lutions across various parties.

There is an increasing interest in the public sector for the repertoire of designers and the value it can bring when working on complex societal challenges. However, what constitutes this repertoire is often not articulated clearly, or it is explained in such generic terms that it is hard to draw disciplinary boundaries. Drawing from literature, we identify four competencies—integrating, reframing, formgiving and orchestrating—as distinctive for the discipline of design. Through several examples we show how these competencies feature in the design process, and how these competencies drive different design practices. Although these competencies have to a certain extent always been part of the design discipline, they need to be adapted to the context of complex societal challenges. Hence, we conclude this paper by discussing how these competencies are to be developed and adapted to strengthen the value of the design repertoire when dealing with complex issues in the public sector.

This paper considers the disputes and questions arising from a systematic review of the social design literature and establishes three prominent contestations relating to the ideas of ‘power’, ‘systems thinking’ and ‘criticality’. These ideas are tightly connected, with systems thinking and criticality emerging in response to the omnipresence of power relations in social design. With the acceptance that social design is inherently political, and the provision that both ‘space’ and the ‘uncovering of knowledge’ can work to confront such power and enable social innovation, we see the need for both an expansion and nuance of future social design efforts. Our analysis suggests this is possible through the enacting of mechanisms that work to unveil and confront notions of power directly in design. We see these opportunities through acts including employing systematic design practices; practicing reflexive and situated design; and pursuing prototyping and infrastructuring in design.