Blueprints for Inter-institutional Collaborations in Social Design

Main Dissemination Event 21/11/24

Where: Elisava, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering.
(Sala Aleix Carrió, Elisava's conference room)
Time: 1pm-6pm (Registration starts at 12:00).
This event is open to the public and free of charge.
Limited capacity.

Blueprints for Inter-institutional Collaborations in Social Design is a landmark conference organised as the culmination of an EU-funded Erasmus+ project. The event gathers six higher education institutions and two NGOs to share the outcomes of their two-year collaboration:

• Moholy Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest (MOME);
• Berlin University of the Arts (UDK);
• Estonian Academy of Arts Tallinn (EKA); 
• Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UNIBZ);
• Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art (Shenkar);
• Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering (Elisava);
• Officine Vispa, Bolzano;
• Democratic Society, Berlin.

The project promotes that higher education (especially in the field of design and art) will react more actively on real-life challenges with the involvement of “everyday heroes”, and shall engage collaborators and field workers to build up a more inclusive system where teachers and students can practise and master social inclusion and diversity in their academic context and beyond. The goal of this project is also to build a more inclusive higher educational system. Inclusion is understood as including non-academic institutions with the outreach to local communities into the academic setting. Diversity is understood as diversity of collaborators, institutions, NGOs representing a more diverse community and diversifying the notion of privileges the academic sectors sometimes represents.

The conference will present key findings and methodologies developed to promote inclusion and diversity through inter-institutional collaborations.

As the main dissemination event of the project, the conference hosted and organised by Elisava will launch the Blueprint, a research book and an open-access framework designed to strengthen partnerships between higher education institutions and NGOs. This comprehensive guide offers practical recommendations, ethical guidelines, and reflections on building inclusive, participatory social design practices to address real-world challenges.

Agenda

15:00 – 15:15 | Introduction to the Project

An overview of the project’s mission, objectives, and key milestones achieved in fostering inter-institutional collaboration between the academic and NGO sectors.

Bori Fehér

15:15 – 15:45 | Literature Review and Background Mapping

An in-depth presentation on the foundational work, exploring existing practices and the theoretical framework guiding the project as well as highlighting insights from expert interviews.

Ariel Guersenzvaig, Jonathan Ventura, and Bözse Hosszu.

15:45 – 16:15 | Pilots Presentation

An examination of the pilot activities carried out in Bozen-Bolzano and Berlin. The session will share outcomes, methodologies, and the lessons learned that shaped the final Blueprint.

Teresa Palmieri, Elizabeth Calderón Lüning and Bianca Herlo

16:15 – 16:45 | Blueprint Presentation

An introduction to the Blueprint, a framework for fostering collaborations between higher education and NGOs using social design principles. It includes case studies, methodologies, and ethical guidelines to guide inclusive, impactful social projects.

Ruth-Helene Melioranski

16:45 – 17:00 – Break

17:00 – 18:00 | Talks

Talks from experts working in social design for or with NGOs and third sector institutions.

1. "Integrating AI in democracy processes"Elizabeth Calderón Lüning, researcher, consultant and educator specialised in urban participation, civic-public partnerships, and democratic digital policy. Mission Lead for Democracy and Technology and Research Practice Lead at The Democratic Society.
2. “Social design in praxis as a design consultant”.Julie Thiery, design lead  at TPXimpact (UK) with 12+ years of experience in design strategy, participatory design, and policy design. She has led digital transformation and service design projects globally, focusing on public and third sectors in areas like inequality, health, foster care, climate education, and financial inclusion.
3. “About working with groups without previous experience in ‘design’ or making”Curro Claret, designer of objects, products, furniture, happenings, strategies and some interior design projects that, since the late 90s, critically explore fairer and more balanced relationships between humans (often involving participants in vulnerable situations) and material and energy resources.

Moderator: Guim Espelt Estopà

18:00 – 18:45 | Roundtable Discussion

An engaging roundtable to discuss the Blueprint’s implications, challenges, and future applications.

Julie Thiery, Curro Claret, Ruth-Helene Melioranski, Bianca Heirlo, Jonathan Ventura, Teresa Palmieri, Bori Feher.

Moderator: Guim Espelt Estopà

18.45– 19:00 Q&A and closing of the event

Bori Fehér and Ariel Guersenzvaig

Who Should Attend:
This conference is ideal for professionals, scholars, teachers, and students in higher education, NGO leaders, social design practitioners, community organisers, policymakers, and individuals passionate about social change. It provides a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in bridging the gap between academic institutions and community-oriented organisations to promote inclusive, impactful collaborations.

By attending, participants will gain insights into innovative social design methodologies, explore best practices for inter-institutional cooperation, and contribute to a collective conversation on shaping a more inclusive future.

Related activity
Join Eva-Liisa Kubinyi, Ruth-Helene Melioranski, and the project team at the Student Room (1st floor at Elisava) between 12:00 and 13:00 for an informal, interactive session. This drop-in event offers students and teachers a unique opportunity to explore the Blueprint, ask questions, and engage in one-on-one discussions with the creators. No registration is required—just bring your curiosity!

Host or Publisher ELISAVA Facultat de Disseny i Enginyeria