CA25154 - Reframing the Social Impact of Design (ReSIDe)

Design has been hailed as a key driver of societal change across as diverse domains as public policy, sustainability, health, inclusion and digital transformation, attracting significant public, business and philanthropic investment across Europe. Yet major challenges persist in understanding, assessing and debating the broader societal impact of design beyond short-term, project-based outcomes, and socioeconomic, quantitative indicators. 

The Action brings together a pan-European, interdisciplinary network for reconsidering and reframing the definition and scope of design impact. It consolidates currently fragmented research into the social and cultural roles and impacts of diverse design professions. The Action’s activities and outcomes will (i) build on critical analyses of the political, economic, professional, and institutional norms, discourses and practices underpinning contemporary understandings and practices of design impact; and (ii) account for the diversity of social groups and values affected by design policies, projects and outcomes, extending beyond project goals and timescales, including possible negative and spillover effects.

Combining critical perspectives from design studies, social sciences, and humanities with empirical research across diverse European contexts, The Action will produce a shared theoretical framework and research agenda (WG1), a compendium of case studies (WG3), and an application-oriented framework of models and tools (WG2). The Action will translate the frameworks into practice, ensuring societal uptake by using a policy design approach to engage and inform policymakers, funding bodies and civil society (WG5); and designing and conducting inclusive training-based capacity building activities (WG4).