Design as a force for good
Industrial Evolution
Look around you. Everything human-made is designed. From the clothes you wear, to the phone in your pocket, to the building you're in. All of these products shape society and impact our ecosystems.
From the industrial revolution to the more recent relocation of factories to low-wage countries, mass production of low-priced, short-lived goods has become the norm. This has brought prosperity, but the side effects are immense: Social inequality, depleted resources, environmental pollution, declining biodiversity and a climate crisis.
Industry cannot be stopped, but it can be transformed. In that transition, we see a leading role for designers. The principle is simple: every new product must be superior to previous generations. We call this: Industrial Evolution.
About Secrid
We are a designer couple: Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt in fashion and René van Geer in industrial design. Having worked for many industrial clients for decades, in 2009 we created our own brand: Secrid.
With Secrid we create from the ground up according to our own values. In the Netherlands about 500 people are involved in the development, production and sales of our pocketwear essentials that you can carry with you every day in your pocket or bag. Our products are sold in more than 80 countries.
But Secrid is more than a product, it is an innovation lab to keep improving our products and a platform to get our message out. Secrid is a B Corp: we pursue positive change through entrepreneurship. We design for sustainability, consciously choosing CO2 neutral production in the Netherlands and collaborating with social workshops. We invest 1% of sales in projects that contribute to our mission: to drive the Industrial Evolution.
Over the past thirty years, our innovative approach has led to a unique design philosophy, with 7 principles for holistic design: an important number in the world of Secrid.
Mission-driven partners
We create change together. With Dutch Design Foundation and What Design Can Do, Secrid found two mission-driven partners to help drive this industrial evolution. Secrid x DDF x WDCD have joined forces to support talented designers, through coaching, funding and providing a relevant network.
Secrid Talent Podium
With Dutch Design Foundation, we spotlight talented designers every year during Dutch Design Week. Creatives who drive the evolution of their industry with innovative products. And who together paint a hopeful picture of progress. In addition to this podium spot, each designer receives coaching and a cash prize of €7,777: a reference to our 7 design principles for holistic product design. By giving visitors to DDW insight into the conscious choices and dilemmas facing both these design talents and ourselves, we aim to stimulate conversation and above all, movement.
Design Competition
What Design Can Do organises design challenges around the biggest social dilemmas of our time. As a partner, Secrid supports three designers. The winning teams of the most recent Make it Circular Challenge received a 6-month professional development program, a cash prize of €10,000 and access to publicity through all our partners' channels.
