Social Design Unit
How can social design enable sustainable transitions in society and allow people to engage in constructive and action-oriented research to mitigate deficiencies in their lives?
Contact the groupAbout Social Design Unit
Social Design Unit carries out collaborative research projects with the public sector, as well as private and non-profit organisations.
The core interest lies in reducing unsustainable living and marginalisation in society, which is reflected in the following research areas:
- Vulnerable Youth
- Patient Empowerment
- Design for Family-friendly Prisons
- Citizen Participation in Public Space
- Design Fiction and Design Futuring
Founded in 2015 by Eva Knutz and Thomas Markussen, the Social Design Unit is a platform-based research group.
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Research leaders
Affiliated researchers
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Ilma Stankeviciute
PhD student
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Kirstine Neimann Skov
PhD student
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The core philosophy is that research is inherently a collective effort, relying on relationships and the sharing of control and responsibility among researchers, experts, practitioners, and the people we design for.
This is also reflected in the co-leadership of the unit, which is inspired by history: in the ancient Roman Republic, co-leadership proved successful for more than 400 years, and today it is praised, particularly in the cultural sector, for fostering creativity, diversity, and inclusion.
Collaboration
The Social Design Unit welcomes invitations to participate in research collaborations, educational activities, and public events.
Currently, the unit partners with actors from a range of sectors in society, including funding bodies, artists, activists, and citizen groups, both in Denmark and internationally.
