Meet the DDW24 beacons

Get to know the new beacons and the returning beacon’s projects on DDW24

Julia Watson is an Australian-born author, researcher, lecturer, and landscape designer based in New York City. Julia is an expert on traditional and indigenous technologies and focuses her work on the intersection of anthropology, ecology and innovation. Her eponymously named design consultancy foregrounds traditional knowledge, sustainability and nature-based innovation. Julia wrote a book on the subject, called Lo-TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism. Her second book—on the role of water—is forthcoming.

Julia Watson will give a lecture at the Van Abbemuseum on the first Saturday of DDW24 (19 October). It will be available soon in the programme on ddw.nl.

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Bas van de Poel is the innovation director and co-founder of Modem, an office for design and innovation dedicated to envisioning how forward-thinking companies and institutions can thrive amidst exponential change. Modem approaches this mission as a think tank, collaborating with academic partners such as Harvard GSD, MIT, and UC Berkeley, and as a design studio, working with clients like OpenAI, Google, and Chanel. Prior to founding Modem, Bas served as Creative Director at IKEA’s future-living lab SPACE10, where he led large-scale digital transformation and sustainability programmes. 

Bas van de Poel will present the projects Computer-Aided Design and Smart Aid Kit at the Klokgebouw with Modem at DDW24. Bas will also give a keynote speech at the Design & AI symposium on Wednesday, October 23, in NatLab (Mission Day - Digital Future).

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André Doxey joined the LEGO Group in Denmark at the start of this year, as Head of Design and Senior Vice President. His design career began thirty years ago at Pentastar, and then worked at Newell Rubbermaid, before joining Nike for almost twenty years. At Nike, he worked for several divisions, including performance training and Air Jordan. Most recently, André has been the Creative Director at Adidas for eight years, where he was responsible for labels such as Adidas Terrex and Five Ten. He also played a key role in initiatives such as the 2020 and 2022 Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and the Adidas x Stella McCartney collaboration for Women's Training. His experience has led to creating exciting new product portfolios and building strong design organisations.

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As DDW beacons, these leading designers are seen as guiding lights for fellow designers, partners, and Dutch Design Week visitors. In the first year, joining beacons consists of a deep dive into DDW and sharing their vision of the profession and the world they work in. That exploration leads to developing projects and/or a presentation at Dutch Design Week. 

In 2023 we already welcomed Sanne and Neele Kistemaker (founders of social design studio Muzus) and Stefan Diez (founder of DIEZ OFFICE and Head of Industrial Design at Die Angewandte in Vienna) to the ranks. This edition, they return, offering fresh projects and perspectives.

Muzus will present the project Meaningful Encounters at Ketelhuisplein on DDW24. Highlighting how meaningful encounters are the heart of social design, the interactive installation will allow visitors to explore the power of imagination and ways to create the right environments for co-creation and learning from one another.

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Stefan Diez gives the stage to the next generation of designers, as changing perspectives on good and sustainable design is imperative for the designs of tomorrow. During Dutch Design Week, his students from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna will be part of Class of ‘24, a group exhibition at the heart of Klokgebouw, featuring projects from various design-related academies. Stefan previously shared with Dutch Design Week how teaching provides him with the opportunity to reflect back on his own design philosophy and pass on knowledge to the next generation. 

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