PONT Book club: A dive into how design principles and methodology (should) adapt to designing in and for the public domain

In this book club, designers are challenged to explore how to further develop or strengthen their design practice in a public context. Led by Jaap Daalhuizen, the fundamentals of design principles and methodologies within public design practice will be discussed and linked to theoretical frameworks and relevant literature. What can designers learn from the connection between academic depth and their practical experience in improving their design approaches to social issues?

Jaap Daalhuizen is a associate professor and director of the Bachelor of Industrial Design at TU Delft. As a design methodologist, he focuses on exploring design principles and patterns, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the field and improving design education. He plays a key role as co-editor of the Delft Design Guide – a book aimed at making the broad palette of design methods in Delft design education more accessible and appealing to students (and designers).

For who:

The book club is specifically for designers and professionals who integrate design as part of their working practice, and want to deepen their theoretical and academic knowledge. The focus is on designing for societal challenges. The book club provides a space for critical reflection, with participants sharing their insights and practical experiences and linking them to relevant theoretical and academic perspectives.

Readling list:

Session 1: Beyond human-centred design
During the first session, we will discuss the core of design thinking and its application by Kees Dorst and selected articles on systemic design, such as Systemic Design Principles in Social Innovation by Mieke Van der Bijl-Brouwer and Bridget Malcolm. Participants will be asked to read one or two articles, which will be discussed together.

Session 2: Diversify design
During the session, we discuss Expand: Stretching the Future by Design by Jens Martin Skibsted and Christian Bason. Besides the book, we also discuss the participants’ big questions and formulate a topic for the fourth session based on these.

Session 3: Design for society
This session will discuss Designing for Society: Products and Services for a Better World by Nynke Tromp and Paul Hekkert. This book focuses on creating products and services that contribute to a better world.

Session 4: Joint selection
Together with the book club participants, the reading list is completed with literature that matches the needs that surface during the book club.

When:

Date: Tuesday 29 October
Time: 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
Location: at the Vakwerkhuis, Delft

Date: Tuesday 10 December
Time: 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
Location: online

Date: Tuesday 21 January
Time: 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
Location: online

Date: Tuesday 4 March
Time: 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
Location: at the Vakwerkhuis, Delft

Do you want to join the PONT book club? Sign up here!