4x projects that contribute to the needs of different generations

Discover the beauty, complexity, and vulnerability of digital youth. Step into the world of six young people as they explore their complex and intimate relationship with apps and platforms. How do young people experience an ever-present companion? Discover how they develop, immerse, form friendships, work, and sometimes try to escape the digital world that surrounds them.

‘ATTACHED: Digital Youth’ reveals the contradictions that come with growing up in a digital age. The portraits suggest a strong connection, but also one of dependence. The Municipality of Amsterdam invited young people to share their personal stories and to show how they relate to the internet — an exciting, tender, and sometimes untamable beast. What does it mean to grow up in a world that is increasingly “always on”?

Elderly people often experience physical and mental challenges when their social network shrinks to only those caring for them. The care system cannot bear this burden, and informal carers are overwhelmed — a situation likely to worsen in the future.

Both elderly people and society often harbour inhibiting prejudices and barriers, preventing the expansion of seniors’ social networks. To foster reciprocity within society, we need a new kind of volunteer, someone who helps (re)activate networks temporarily. What can you do for an elderly person in your community? And what can this elderly person offer you? Can we view “caring for one another” as something beyond a transaction? This design research explores the reciprocity of care and shows us the strength of ecosystems between people.

Elderly care needs fundamental change. By 2040, it is estimated that around 26% of the population will be 65 or older, with one-third being over 80. The demand for care is growing and becoming more complex, while the number of care workers is decreasing.

We need to organise elderly care differently. ActiZ believes that the whole of society should play a role in this. In the Netherlands, caring communities are already emerging, where neighbours and fellow villagers look out for each other. They organise care close to home, together with a community or village support worker. This changes the role of care professionals: shorter communication lines, a focus on prevention, and more technological support. Design studio morgenmakers is exploring this shift together with three care organisations. They are designing concepts for the care professional of the future. What will be in the metaphorical nursing bag 20 years from now?

To what extent do we take children’s and students’ knowledge and experience seriously, and how much room is there to utilise this knowledge within education? And how does this work when it involves young people with chronic conditions? Can the personal experiences of students with such conditions be turned into expert knowledge? The answer is yes. Personal experience proves to be a valuable contribution to education.

From “I am a problem” to “I add value” is the essential shift in perspective for students with chronic conditions. Together, teaching students and lecturers designed interactive tools that help (and could help more teachers and students) to swap roles, tackle “difficult” topics, and develop insights into the value of experiential knowledge around chronic conditions. Not only at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht but also in primary school teaching through internships. Students themselves bring this into the educational field. Open the drawer and activate your own experiential knowledge and that of others.

Visit ‘Designing Society’ during DDW24

‘Designing Society’ brings together the projects and programmes of the World Design Embassies, What if Lab, PONT, and Maakruimte MooiNL under one roof. The exhibition invites you to explore new perspectives on possible futures. How can we collectively discover the power of design and connect it to the complex transitions our world faces today?

Visit ‘Designing Society’ during DDW24 from 19 to 27 October. The exhibition at Ketelhuisplein is free and open to everyone.