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Doors of Perception Xskool in Sweden

In what ways can design help people interact with living systems in ways that help both of them thrive? And, what small practical steps might one take to test the effect of small actions on the system as a whole? These two questions inform a Doors of Perception xskool workshop that takes place in August as part of the FuturePerfect Festival in Sweden. It takes place on the island of Grinda in the Stockholm Archipelago. Doors is partnering in the activity with a group of Swedish design schools and universities; their teams will form the core of the xskool. Some places will be available for DESIS members who register for the Future Perfect Festival.

DESIS Philosophy talk # 3 “Disruptive qualities” - A joint initiative of POLIMI DESIS Lab and Social Spaces CUO DESIS Lab.

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 15:15

The DESIS Philosophy Talk is a new initiative proposed by DESIS in order to enhance the dialogue between
practice & theory, between design & philosophy. The idea is to match practical issues and topics emerging from
design practice in the field of social innovation around the world with insights from the philosophical tradition.
Several notions, such as beauty, public vs. private, community, etc., which normally belong to the field of social
sciences appear to emerge from a kind of “phenomenological” study of different cases of design for social
innovation. The DESIS Philosophy Talks want to explore them from a philosophical, theoretical perspective
and see how the result of these discussions can add meaningful value to the design practice and possibly also
philosophy.

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Disruptive qualities: "Emerging ideas of times, places, work and relationship. A design challenge.". 5 - 8 June, Cumulus conference, Kalmar, Sweden

Submitted by admin on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 14:23

A two days session where we will be discussing the “qualities” of the physical and social environments present in projects of social innovation that one can experience as radically different from those spread by mainstream models over the course of the last the century. The two days session on Disruptive qualities aims to define these qualities and to fuel a broader discussion about them as they occur in contemporary society by moving from empirical observations of promising initiatives in the field of social innovation, in order to improve their characterization/definition. By means of a DESIS Philosophy talk and a hands-on workshop, we will be researching on concrete cases of social innovation with the lenses of the disruptive qualities, experimenting how the philosophical reflection can inspire and reinforce the practice of design for social innovation.

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Tech for society - International Students Workshop

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/27/2013 - 14:53

On the occasion of 150th anniversary of Politecnico di Milano, a selection of students coming from diverse backgrounds -architecture, design, and engineering- will gather to reflect collectively on the role of technology as a vital contributor to people’s opportunities to enhance their quality of life, with a focus of attention on world’s underprivileged. Presentations and debates will be aimed at simultaneously exploring and articulating the social, political, economic and environmental aspects of technological innovation and inventiveness in the transition from poverty to prosperity.
The one-day event will initiate a platform for discussion among students – challenging them to identify and convey their opinions on topics which are strictly interlocked with both their present competences and future professional growth. Participants will be invited to formulate their critical visions about the possible impact of and linkages between technology and environment, economy, and human well-being.

DESIS Seminar on Thematic Clusters, back-to-back with Cumulus conference, Kalmar, Sweden

During the next Cumulus conference in Kalmar (Sweden) there will be the possibility for DESIS labs spread around the world to show the way in which they collaboratively work at project of design for social innovation.The Thematic Clusters are DESIS Network Initiatives in which groups of DESIS Labs align their activities and work collaboratively on relevant topics. The DESIS Seminar is based on the Thematic Clusters first results. In this event, the Thematic Clusters that will be presented are: Public & Collaborative, Ageing & Ingenuity, Distributed and Open Production, Rural-Urban China, Collaborative services for informal settlements. The Seminar will be an opportunity to discuss these topics, to exchange experiences and to explore new possibilities.

NESTA_Call for proposals

Submitted by admin on Mon, 02/11/2013 - 13:25

In partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and the TEPSIE project, with support from the Social Innovation Exchange, The Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Oxford, NESTA are looking for research that will push knowledge and practice of social innovation, and set a collective research agenda for the next ten years. This is an open call for proposals that aim to challenge conventional wisdom and identify and address knowledge gaps to deepen our knowledge of social innovation.

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Crime and Design Conference Report, Sydney, December 2012

Submitted by Adam Thorpe on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 15:17

Over 100 delegates - designers, architects, planners, crime prevention professionals, policymakers and others engaging with public space management joined a broad cohort of academics in Sydney NSW in December 12-13 2012 to explore new ways of preventing crime, increasing community safety and making public space work better, as a convivial and collaborative public realm.
This was the first conference we have ever attended where design led approaches and the partners involved in delivering them, truly dominated the account of crime prevention. Given we have been part of the first Design Against Crime Research Centre since it emerged at Central Saint Martins in 1999 and participated in many events on this theme, this fact was very significant, and no accident. The Attorney General of NSW funded the Design Out Crime Research Centre in partnership of the University of Technology, Sydney, to emulate UK design-led crime prevention activities.

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Call for paper: Equality, growth & innovation - in theory and practice

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/29/2013 - 17:57

The conference discusses the relation between equality, growth and innovation based on experiences from theory and practice. It aims to 1) Systematize exchange of knowledge and experience from completed research studies, policy programs and R & D projects on socially sustainable innovation and growth between actors from different sectors (academic, private, public, nonprofit), and 2) Increase participants' ability and willingness to use knowledge and experience from completed research studies, policy programs and R & D projects to further develop research and policy field of social innovation and sustainable growth.
You are warmly welcome to contribute with an abstract on any of these themes:

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SIE Interviews Ezio Manzini

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/18/2012 - 23:25

SIE Interviews Ezio Manzini
http://socialinnovationeurope.eu/magazine/methods-and-tools/interviews/s...

For more than two decades Ezio Manzini has been working in the field of design for sustainability. Recently, he focused his interests on social innovation –he started, and currently coordinates, DESIS, an international network on design for social innovation and sustainability (http://www.desis-network.org ). Throughout his professional life he worked at the Politecnico di Milano. Parallel to this, he has collaborated with several international schools, such as: Domus Academy (in the 90s), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (in 2000) and, currently, Tongji University (Shanghai), Jiangnan University (Wuxi), COPPE-UFRJ (Rio de Janeiro), Parsons (New York).

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DESIS Showcase in Rio de Janeiro

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/18/2012 - 22:19

by Carla Cipolla

The DESIS Event in Rio de Janeiro occurred on November 22, 2012 and was marked by reflections, debates and the convergence of multiple ideas that had one thing in common: the recognition of social innovation as a tool for a more sustainable lifestyle. The event took place at two different moments: a lecture by Professor Ezio Manzini in the morning, followed by the DESIS Showcase event, on which projects of social innovation for sustainability were presented by its organizers and promoters, mostly in the context of Rio de Janeiro, but also including other Brazilian regions.

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