WHO WE ARE

Design Centre Amsterdam is a joint initiative of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam University of the Arts and the Gerrit Rietveld Academy

MISSION

Design Centre Amsterdam has the ambition to become the centre for Systemic Design in the Netherlands. Systemic Design is a recent initiative in design that integrates systems thinking, eco-sustainability and human-centred design, with the intention of helping designers cope with complex design projects and respond to recent societal challenges such as those resulting from globalization, migration, and the increasing need for eco-sustainability. The primary role of Design Centre Amsterdam is to develop and disseminate expertise on Systemic Design, whilst at the same time stimulating cross-disciplinary cooperation and discussion in the realm of Systemic Design.

VISION

In our VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world, there is a need for an entity that continuously explores and formulates the future role of design and the designer, harvesting and harnessing from ‘design diversity’ (or ‘design chaos’) those valuable emerging insights, tools and methods that can help designers generate responsible solutions for ‘wicked’ societal problems and support the education of new generations of designers.

Geleyn Meijer, rector of AUAS

ACTIVITIES

Design Centre Amsterdam organizes:

Events on (the future of) design education, research and practice;
Amsterdam Summer School in Design (to be announced soon), a joint initiative by UvA and HvA;
Public lectures centred around design, addressing questions such as “How to design responsibly?” and “What constitutes a responsible design/designer?” (dates to be announced soon)

Would you like to learn more about or contribute to our activities, please contact us! (contact form at bottom of page)

NETWORK

Design Centre Amsterdam operates in close collaboration with existing design schools, programmes and networks such as:

CURATORS

KEES DORST

Kees Dorst is Professor at Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, University of Technology Sidney.

BEN SCHOUTEN

Ben Schouten is the chairman of the Design Centre Amsterdam, lector of Play & Civic Media Design at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and full professor at the department of Industrial Design at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

GELEYN MEIJER

Geleyn Meijer is rector of the Amsterdam University of Applied Science, and member of its executive board.

MARCEL DEN HOLLANDER

Marcel den Hollander is quartermaster for Design Centre Amsterdam, and designer, researcher and consultant specialising in integrated strategic design of products and business models for a Circular Economy