Workshops The Power of Design & Transitions | DDW 2026

On Tuesday afternoon, 20 October, the very first public event of Design Power & Transitions will take place during Dutch Design Week. With a plenary programme, a marketplace where you can discover the new research projects, and six workshops, you can immerse yourself in Design Power & Transitions for an entire afternoon.

The afternoon starts with a keynote by David Abbink, Professor of Haptic Human-Robot Interaction at Delft University of Technology and Scientific Director of the Centre for Meaningful Human Control. Drawing on his experience in transdisciplinary research, he will take you through the complexities of working in consortia and iterative design. This is followed by two rounds of workshops, in which project teams from the first round share interim insights, methods and experiences and discuss them with designers, researchers and other professionals. Linda Vermaat will moderate the afternoon, which concludes with drinks.

Workshops

Tangible Transitions - Grassroots
What does a minimum viable ecosystem (MVE) look like, and what role does design play in activating such an ecosystem? In this co-creation session, participants explore which design interventions can help make innovations tangible, imaginable and experiential, while actively engaging partners, communities and users.

Co-creating with Young People - SpaceTeen
Co-creation with children and young people requires accessible methods. During this workshop, participants exchange insights on methods and provide input for a new platform featuring practical approaches for researchers, designers and other professionals. What would help you in your work?

From Interventions to Intervention Sets - SINO
How do you create coherence in complex healthcare transitions? During this workshop, participants are introduced to systemic co-design as an approach to developing coherent interventions as portfolios. The session explores how this approach connects design, research and practice and can contribute to greater coherence in elderly care.

Making Ambitions Last - Living Environment of Tomorrow
Ambitions for the living environment are constantly changing under the influence of decisions, interests and unseen forces. In this workshop, participants explore how system dynamics influence the development of an area. This provides insight into the factors that help sustain ambitions when shaping the living environment.

Orchestrating Transitions as a Designer - Care & Repair
What does the role of the designer as an orchestrator of societal transitions look like? During this session, different orchestrators share their perspectives in a moderated panel discussion. Participants are invited to reflect on the role, tensions and value of orchestration as a design competence.

Embodiment in Systemic Design - Overarching Research
The value of embodiment only becomes truly clear when you experience it yourself. During this workshop, participants are introduced to participatory methods that use embodiment within systemic design. Join in and discover what these methods can offer when engaging stakeholders.

Taking part

After registering for the afternoon programme, you can choose which working session you would like to attend during the event. There is no need to register for a specific working session in advance.

Places are limited, so make sure to register in time. As a participant, you will also receive a free Dutch Design Week wristband.

Register here for the afternoon programme and keep an eye on the online noticeboard.

The event will be held in Dutch.