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Dutch Design Week 2023 keeps moving forward

29 October 2023

As Dutch Design Week 2023 comes to a close, we continue to move forward. This year’s theme, Picture This, was an urgent call to face contemporary and future scenarios and embrace new perspectives. The many designers who presented their work this week gave clear testimony to a shared mission of bettering ourselves, ranging from encouraging concepts to ready-to-launch products, and from future-proof fashion and technological innovation, to down-to-earth social design.

Dutch Design Week (DDW) has great appeal to its national and international visitors: policymakers, students and organisations that recognise design as a force for good, including Her Majesty Queen Máxima. We are happy to have experienced so much support from the design community and this year’s beacons: Muzus, Yinka Ilori and Stefan Diez. DDW would not be possible without our team of dedicated volunteers and crew, and all our partners who believe that design is a necessity to shape our future.

The best of all weeks

Dutch Design Week is also ‘designing’ itself. This year, DDW launched several new programmes and initiatives in order to match participants with the topics they work on, and boost the potential impact of their projects. The introduction of narratives helped designers and visitors to return home with new insights and ways forward. DDW invited creative voices to reflect and shed light on DDW’s narratives from their own unique perspectives. InterCHANGES, a series of interactive events by and for mission-driven people, kicked off with three co-creation sessions. The Avenue of Fresh Perspectives introduced an exploration of the newest generation of makers. In addition, Dutch Design Foundation launched PONT, a multi-year collaboration utilising design power specifically for societal challenges. These and other programmes will be further developed throughout the coming years.

Miriam van der Lubbe, Creative Head of Dutch Design Week:

“I am very impressed by the urgency and relevance of the projects this year. It is wonderful to see how all design disciplines were strongly represented, and the quality of the presentations exceeded my expectations. It really is up to all of us to continue the mission. We will continue to make space for emerging talent and new generations, and to help designers connect with the best national and international audience and partners.”

DDA Public Award

On Thursday Bosk —by Arcadia, Gemeente Leeuwarden and Bruno Doedens— captured the public’s attention and won decisively. The opinion of Dutch Design Week visitors aligned with the jury of Dutch Design Awards; last month, the expert jury awarded Bosk as the winner in the Habitat category: "Bosk is a brilliant, nature-inclusive protest with demonstrators you'll love; the entire journey sets an example, with trees as prominent protagonists."