SOCIAL INNOVATION BY DESIGN?

There is growing awareness of the fact that economic growth fails to solve the great challenges of our times. Social innovation (SI) is a widely used concept in academia and contemporary policy debates and can be seen as part of an important shift towards an alternative economy or society. This concept’s development is related to the cultural and creative industries (CCI) in general and design in specific. Especially design seems capable to foster SI, but the practice of designing for SI is not investigated from the perspective of the practitioners themselves. The research, therefore, aims to provide answers to the central question: What are the practices of individuals who design for social innovation projects? This qualitative study aims to increase understanding of the practices of designing for SI. Nine in-depth interviews are being held with individuals involved in designing SI in the Netherlands. The conclusion summarises the most important findings and limitations. The study concludes that the practice of designing for SI characterised by (1) great diversity in what kind of methods or strategies individuals use, (2) by collaboration with users (and less crucially with other parties) and an open approach (in the form of a flexible process, shared information and an open-ended result). Moreover, the practice entails (3) constantly striking a crucial balance between opposite activities and qualities such as listening and ignoring, or letting go – keeping control. The research adds not only to academia, but also individual creative including other designers, policy makers and other stakeholders who are involved in the practice of designing SI.