Collaborations for Future

Challenge and research question

The urgency that the creative sector needs to take action within climate challenges is being stated in many scientific reports, policy plans and journalistic articles. In the latest IPCC Report, researchers pointed out that one problem standing in the way of adaptive transformations related to climate change, is the inability to mobilise the collective power of the creative community. They urge for creating shared visions of the future and propose that through design and deliberate interaction with cultural artefacts, technologies and performances we can articulate collective visions and imagine new alternatives. 

“Urban design plays a central role to support creative adaptation strategies (Box 6.7). Much adaptation action repeats previous experiences. However, the potential for building resilience to deliver adaptation, especially transformative adaptation, requires an articulation of collective visions of the future and the imagination of new or alternative urban futures (Glaas et al., 2018), including through design and deliberate engagement with cultural artefacts, technologies and performances (Jordan, 2020).” — IPCC sixth assessment report 

Both the IPCC and the Coalition Agreement give a significant role to the creative sector. To fulfil this role we need to understand and design the collaboration and commissioning forms that can be put in place to create effective contributions of designers to complex challenges. When designers work on climate challenges, they are often brought in as problem-solvers, tasked with specific activities and requested to produce concrete pre-defined outcomes. These traditional commissioner-contractor relationships limit designers from working and contributing in a holistic and integral way. In other words, the design question itself is formulated within systems that are maintaining the problem, and therefore designers receive commissions that do not address the core issues. In many cases design is framed within the traditional perception of design for communication or product development. Therefore we set the research question: “How will forms of commissioning and collaboration need to change to allow designers to contribute to societal transitions?” With the project detailed in this application, we intend to experiment with different forms of collaborations that could allow the design sector to better work with societal experts in order to contribute to addressing global challenges such as climate change. The climate crisis is one of the most complex societal challenges that we will encounter in the upcoming years. Yet, it is important to note that we do not see the outcomes of this innovation lab as solutions to the climate crisis as such. Rather, we see it as a step towards redefining how the creative sector takes on this new role and how it can collaborate more closely with the field of climate research, so that we can together make sense of this planetary-scale transformation and participate in defining and building the way forward. 

Innovation aim

Collaborations for Future aims to empower creative actors through knowledge, tools, and interdisciplinary partnerships.The consortium partners see that designers are often engaged too late in the process, resulting in that the added value of design methodologies is not implemented in the research processes. Within Co-design sessions with the partner organisations we revealed a shared struggle among scientific partners to integrate designers in early research stages due to a lack of proven concepts and models. As a consortium, our objective is to explore open-ended collaborations between designers and climate scientists, generating commissioning blueprints for the creative and scientific sectors. These blueprints will inform key decision-makers driving climate-related transitions. Together, we aspire to pave the way for impactful and transformative collaborations that shape a sustainable future.

The incubator

The Collaborations for Future laboratory will enable 1-on-1 collaborations between climate scientists and designers. These collaborations will be facilitated and supported by the team of We Are. Through this project, we strive to develop methods, experimental collaborative set-ups, and commissioning blueprints that enhance collaboration between the creative sector and scientists in tackling climate change. We are dedicated to researching and innovating cross-practice formats, methods, and structures within a growing network of creative and scientific actors. In July 2023, the consortium partners will launch an open call for creative professionals from a range of design disciplines. Sign up for the newsletter of SDS and Foundation We Are to make sure you don’t miss it.