Designing Publics, Publics Designing: Design roles in social innovation

28th of January 9.30-15 pm
Svarta Havet, Konstfack LM Ericssons väg 14, Stockholm
Subway station: Telefonplan

Video documentation from the event is available at:
Morning session: bambuser.com/v/4309369
Afternoon session: bambuser.com/v/4309743

Design roles are expanding in society and the public sphere. This is reflected in a range of new formulations of design, such as "service", "transformation" and "social" design, and a growth of interest and funding in the public and social sectors. Such design practices, often premised on user-centered, participatory, iterative, and rapid-prototyping processes, have been highly effective in addressing complex social problems and societal challenges. Today, there are a growing number of design labs and firms operating in this area, and the European Commission recently published an action plan for Design-Driven Innovation that promotes design as a driver in renewing the public sector.

This represents significant opportunities – and challenges – for practitioners and researchers. What roles may designers have in social innovation? What roles may the public, or publics, have? How to consider and collaborate with others in urban social innovation? How may reflective practices and experimental interventions influence the everyday work of governance? How are problems framed and by whom, which publics and interests are considered? How to consider social justice, alternative futures and radical transformation? Where do responsibilities lie, how might mutual learning occur, and how to ensure accountability? What roles may the design (research) community play?

These and related challenges will be addressed through these seminar presentations and discussions:

Program

09:30 Mingle with coffee and tea

10:00 Welcome, Per-Anders Hillgren, release of Design ABC by Forum for Social Innovation Sweden, Louisa Szücs Johansson

10:15 Stephan Vincent "Design in the public sector"

11:15 Andrea Botero and Per-Anders Hillgren "Public & Collaborative", dialog with Maria Hellström Reimer
Download the book: socialinnovation.se/sv/exploring-the-intersection-of-design-social-innovation-and-public-policy/

12:15 Lunch

13:15 "Architectural and critical dimensions of urban social innovation", Katja Grillner, Hélene Frichot, Meike Schalk and others, in dialog with Ramia Mazé

14:15 "Designing Publics, Publics designing", panel with all speakers, moderated by Catharina Gabrielsson

15:00 Close

Forum for Social Innovation Sweden

Forum for Social Innovation Sweden is the national platform for social innovation and social entrepreneurship in Sweden. The forum is a meeting place for academia, industry, government and non-profit organisations in Sweden who want to develop research, competence and expertise in the growing field of social innovation and social entrepreneurship. One of the focus areas of the forum is the intersection between design and social innovation and how design can be useful when approaching complex societal challenges. As a way to develop and spread expertise in the field of social innovation the forum publishes a series of pocket guides "ABC's". During the event in Stockholm the first "ABC in design processes" will be launched.

Stephane Vincent is director for La 27e Région a public innovation lab that have been working with design inspired approaches since 2008 in collaboration with regional administrations in the differents regions in France. Their strategy, that they have termed "Friendly Hacking", builds on embedding multi disciplinary teams including designers that for shorter or longer periods can empower civil servants within diverse public organisations...

"Public & Collaborative - Exploring the intersection of design, social innovation and public policy" is a book edited by Ezio Manzini and Eduardo Staszowski that documents and presents some reflections on efforts of DESIS Labs in Europe, Canada, and the United States that are participating in the Public and Collaborative Thematic Cluster. It includes 11 articles that presents from a critical perspective the labs' projects and activities during the 2012- 2013 period. Andrea Botero and Per-Anders Hillgren, two contributors to the book, will share some of their experiences on design in the public sphere, and will engage in a critical dialog with Maria Hellström Reimer. Andrea Botero (FI) is researcher at Aalto University, Per-Anders Hillgren (SE) is assistant professor at Malmö University in Sweden, Maria Hellström Reimer (SE) is professor at Malmö University.

"Critical design and architectural roles in urban social innovation" will raise and discuss related issues in architectural and urban design, which has long operated in the public sector. Katja Grillner, Hélène Frichot and Meike Schalk from the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH ABE) will discuss topics such as 'alternative urban economies', 'ethical urban experiments', 'feminist, eco and biopolitical futures', 'political and poetic ecologies of practices', 'ficto-critical and participatory methods' Katja Grillner (SE) is a professor KTH ABE and Director of Architecture in Effect, a national initiative for a strong research environment funded by Formas 2011-2016. Hélène Frichot (SE/AU) is an assistant professor at KTH ABE. Meike Schalk (SE/DE) is an architect and assistant professor at KTH ABE and responsible for the multi-departmental program Sustainable Urban Planning and Design. Ramia Mazé is a senior researcher at the Interactive Institute and guest lecturer at Konstfack and at KTH ABE.

The event will be broadcast live via MSI Bambuser channel here: socialinnovation.se/sv/event/stream

Coffee and tea will be served during the day but lunch is not included.

This seminar is hosted by Forum for Social Innovation Sweden in collaboration with The Swedish Faculty for Design Research and Research Education, the annual Industrial Design seminar at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Critical Studies in Architecture at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and the Interactive Institute Swedish ICT. It is organized by Per-Anders Hillgren, Louisa Szücs Johansson, Bo Westerlund, Maria Hellström Reimer, Pelle Ehn, Peter Ullmark and Ramia Mazé.