PONT conference at DDW | Public Design Coalitions: working beyond the silos to tackle complex challenges

A Dutch Design Week inspiration day for civil servants and professionals who want to work towards meaningful change.

Some issues are too big for a single organisation and too intractable for a single linear approach. In Public Design Coalitions, public authorities, civil society organisations and designers collaborate on a single shared challenge. On stage at the Evoluon, three coalitions will share how they work, what they have learnt and where they want to go. Afterwards, you can explore Dutch Design Week exhibitions showcasing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

Three challenges, three coalitions

Low literacy, societal resilience, and the transition of rural areas are challenges that require collaboration beyond organisational silos and individual projects. The government’s PONT programme is therefore working with over 30 different organisations on these themes within three Public Design Coalitions.

This form of collaboration is based on similar initiatives abroad. A coalition comprises both organisations that take a design-led approach to an issue at national and policy level, and organisations that do so at local and operational level. Learning is central. In this way, new knowledge can be put into practice, and practical insights can in turn be incorporated into policy.

A design-based approach

This way of collaborating through exploration and iteration is based on a design-based approach. Design is often associated with creating products or buildings. However, the designers’ approach is also highly suited to tackling complex challenges. Many public sector organisations therefore collaborate with designers. Design within the public sector is about a different way of looking at and dealing with complex issues: experimenting, learning and adapting, together with the people who are directly affected.

Designers contribute in multiple ways. They can play an operational role, as in the Public Design Coalition on Societal Resilience, where designers are developing alternative forms of communication for emergency situations. They also contribute strategically by exploring how society itself can become a co-producer of its own resilience. Finally, they act as connectors. Working together within a learning coalition helps identify the combination of interventions that can collectively lead to systemic change. The iterative rhythm of design provides a shared framework that enables coalition partners to learn together and coordinate interventions that reinforce one another.

Dutch Design Week Inspiration Day: conference and exhibition

PONT is organising this event for public professionals who are curious about what a design-based approach can achieve in practice. The morning programme takes place at the Evoluon and features presentations from the coalition leads and partners of the three Public Design Coalitions. In the afternoon, your ticket gives you access to Dutch Design Week, where you can discover the work and concepts of more than 2,600 designers. Explore the festival at your own pace with the specially curated PONT route, featuring projects and exhibitions relevant to public-sector challenges. Or book a guided tour for your team, focusing on work that aligns with your organisation’s mission.