How do we learn and teach amid complex societal change? ESCuela: ESC & Education shares lessons from more than a decade of Systemic Co-Design (SCD) practice in classrooms, communities, and international collaborations. Blending reflection and practice shows how learning transforms when teachers become …

This volume offers practical insights into designing education that prepares students to navigate transitions in their professional futures by learning the basics of Systemic Co-Design. It also exemplifies how Systemic Co-Design can be an innovative approach to designing future-proof education with diverse …

In this co-design project, we wanted to better understand how leverage point theory could be applied to the social design field. We also wanted to develop an alternative perspective on and language for the different systemic levels design needs to tackle to contribute to societal impact and long-term …

Two years ago, in an economically underprivileged neighbourhood, designers and researchers collaborated with residents to investigate how local community challenges could be supported by initially hypothetical autonomous urban robots that later became known as “hoodbots” (Jaskiewicz & Smit, 2024). The …

To achieve national climate ambitions, accelerating the energy and circularity transitions is essential. The challenge lies in building response capacity within organisations, municipalities and the education sector to shape responsible, future-oriented practices that can drive energy and circularity …

Neighbourhood as a Biotope (Wijk als Biotoop - WaB) focuses on enhancing biodiversity in urban areas by fostering collaboration between people, nature, and technology. The project brings together 15 partners, including municipalities, nature foundations, technology companies, and diverse groups of residents, …

In the face of increasingly complex societal challenges, the field of social design is being called upon to deepen its ability to create long-term, systemic impact. This project, conducted with five experienced social designers and one workshop in our ESConference in 2025, explored how systems thinking, …

Future Proof Labs (FPL) was a four-year research project funded by CLICKNL. It was fundamentally oriented toward co-design in contexts of societal transition. The project brought together academic researchers, practitioners, and a broad network of social design bureaus to collaboratively develop and …

Digital services are becoming the default way to access public information, pursue an education, get healthcare, and engage in civic life. Yet for millions of people, these services remain frustrating to use or completely inaccessible. Legal frameworks such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and …

How do citizens, designers, policymakers, and local entrepreneurs actually work together in ways that are inclusive, sustainable, and effective? Collaboration in urban innovation is often treated as a matter of method or structure, but what happens when timelines clash, trust falters, or understanding …