Design Impact Programme
What Design Can Do (WDCD) works on very complex issues and operates within a network of professional parties from governments, NGOs, business, media, knowledge institutions, training institutes, creative industries. Solutions can only be realised through intensive collaboration, based on shared professional standards. Analyses by the Council of Culture, CLICKNL and WDCD with its social partners show the need to substantiate the effects and (social and environmental) impact of the creative activities to be undertaken in this field of force. In other words: which data, facts, research results and analyses provide evidence for the sustainable change process that WDCD aims to achieve?
WDCD is therefore setting up a continuous trajectory of Impact Research, parallel to the six phases of the WDCD No Waste Challenge, running from 2020 to 2022. Using a 'science-based' approach, evidence is provided for the (social and environmental) impact of this design competition, which focuses on waste and circularity.
The research process validates results in the following areas:
- Qualitative business cases, products and prototypes that are produced during the challenge;
- Self-sufficient initiatives, arising from the challenge
- Increasing research quality, knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviour: among creatives and students, teachers of design-oriented knowledge institutions
- Increasing science-based decision-making, knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviour: among decision-makers from the public and private sector that focus on (social and environmental) impact
- Realising sustainable cooperation aimed at social impact between the aforementioned creatives and decision makers
The WDCD No Waste challenge ties in with large, existing research agendas on circularity and waste; positions the creative industries as a valid collaboration partner through the science-based approach; provides a multi-year impulse for the curriculum of knowledge institutions; feeds its own and other knowledge domains with research data, analyses and tools.
Project budget €389,400, with a €225,000 PPS surcharge being used.