collaborations
for future
About the progamme
Collaborations for Future is a pragramme by Foundation We Are to enable unexpected collaborations between designers and climate scientists on global and local climate challenges. Current wicked, complex and networked problems need a collaborative and dynamic approach. Moving away from pre-defined outcomes and roles creates room for professionals of all disciplines to critically reflect on what their professional position is in relation to climate change. That is unquestionably the biggest challenge of our time – how will each of us take a position and act towards climate change? What future will we build together? No single individual has the answer, and yet all of us do.
With Collaborations for Future, Foundation We Are developed a collaborative set up, allowing designers to connect on a personal level with climate scientists so that they may address aspects of the climate challenge on a human scale within their own collaboration. In this way they are facilitating organizations that work on climate challenges to start embedding design practices within scientific research and translate it towards new audiences or movements.
The program included a collaboration laboratory, a research track, and an event series.
About
the Laboratory
In the collaboration laboratory, 10 designers and 10 climate scientists paired up to experiment and explore how they could collaboratively address themes such as melting ice caps and climate-neutral institutions. The aim was to understand what happens when a designer and scientist work together: what collaboration forms emerge, what themes do they decide to work on, and what interventions or projects do they pursue?
Some partnerships resulted in new campaigns and concepts targeting global climate challenges and enhancing design-science collaboration, while others focused on Dutch institutions and the individual practices of scientists.
About
the Research
While the designers focused on their individual collaborations and projects, Foundation We Are analyzed these partnerships and developed a new design handbook on collaboration which will be launched during Dutch Design Week 2024. The research team of We Are explored what makes a successful collaboration, examining different ways to collaborate—whether within a traditional client relationship or more collaborative partnership models.
Within the handbook they defined specific roles, settings, and scenarios based on experiences within Foundation We Are and the Collaborations for Future Laboratory. The book addressed how to work together in small teams and identified the conditions needed for fruitful and sustainable interdisciplinary partnerships. Factors such as thematic matches or practice similarities significantly influence collaboration success. This knowledge has been synthesized into blueprints and collaboration models that Foundation We Are uses to initiate new projects and advise organizations interested in partnering with designers or forming interdisciplinary teams on global issues.
About
Foundation We Are
Foundation We Are creates programs, events, and exhibitions to encourage unexpected collaborations. As a platform for cooperation, they connect societal experts and designers to develop creative approaches to social issues. The foundation focuses on testing alternative research and design methods, believing that the connection between various actors is essential for the exchange of ideas and the creation of meaningful change.
The foundation started six years ago as a design collective of eight designers, and has since grown into a young cultural organization working on societal issues and interdisciplinary innovation projects. We call it the institute for unexpected collaborations. We Are knows and supports a broad community of socially engaged designers, makers, and researchers. As part of the Collaborations for Future project, they are currently connecting ten climate scientists with ten designers. Additionally, We Are has 600 m2 of exhibition, event, and community space at Strijp-S in Eindhoven, where more than ten designers currently have studios.
Kornelia Dimitrova
Director of Foundation We Are
and Programme Curator of Collaborations for Future
Mail to Kornelia
Alex
Szwaj
Design Researcher Foundation We Are and Programme Coördinator of Collaborations for Future
Mail to Alex
Initiating organization:
Foundation We Are
Programme Curation:
Kornelia Dimitrova
Programme Coördination:
Alex Szwaj
Steering Group for Collaborations for Future:
Kim Sauter, Frank Selten, Detlef van Vuuren, Vassilis Daioglu, Roderik van de Wal, Jan Belon and Kornelia Dimitrova
Partnering organization:
University Utrecht
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)
Technical University Eindhoven (TU/e)
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency(PBL)
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)
Communication Partners:
Pakhuis de Zwijger and Social Design Showdown
Supporting Group:
Detlef van Vuuren of PBL and Utrecht University, Vassilis Daioglu of PBL, Roderik van de Wal of Utrecht University, Kim Sauter of NIOZ, Frank Selten of KNMI, Jonas Torrens of TU Eindhoven and Jan Belon of Social Design Showdown
Designers & Scientists:
Lisa Mandemaker & Nikkie Kluskens (TU/e)
Colette Aliman & Tim van den Akker (University Utrecht)
Merel Witteman & Roderik van de Wal (University Utrecht)
Brogen Berwick & Isabela Schmidt Tagomori (PBL)
Riad Salameh & Arnoud Apituley (KNMI)
Andrea De la Peña & Evy Gobbens (NIOZ)
Myrthe Krepel & Pieter Pauw (TU/e)
Willie Vogel & Frederike Arp (University Utrecht)
Karl Moubarak & Frank Selten (KNMI)
Matilde Stolfa & Hailey Danielson Owcynzsky (NIOZ)
Reaserch:
Maxime Benvenuto, Femke Coops, Shay Raviv, Ineke van Hurk and Alex Szwaj
Reflection on Events:
Isa Jorritsma on Unexpected Encounters #2, Nina Pigaht on Unexpected Encounters #4, Jasmijn Steneker on Unexpected Encounters #5
Graphic Design and Communication:
Bernhard Lenger, Karen van Luttenvelt and Oliwia Migas
Exhibition:
Sander Wassink (Curation and Scenography)
Hanna van Luttervelt and Lucandrea Baraldi (Narrative and Audio Tour)
Olga Flor (Production Menagement)