The ceremonial hall at Design Museum Denmark was fully packed on August 19 when the new Danish Centre for Design Research (DCDR) hosted its first opening seminar Insights into Danish Design Research.

Through short lively presentations design researchers gave the audience opportunity to see a wide variety of how design research is used in society to address problems related to sustainable production and manufacturing, circular design, welfare challenges, care technologies and AI within health – and much more.

The seminar became a busy hub for researchers, design practitioners, educators as well as actors from industry and the public sector, who got a chance to discuss current states of design research and its value to practice and surrounding society. This topic was also foregrounded in Social track the concluding panel discussion moderated by Peter Gall Krogh where Lars Pico Geerdsen (Head of Research, Design Museum Denmark), Marie Louise Høstbo (Creative Design Director, Fritz Hansen), Christina Melander (Chief Design Officer, Danish Design Center), Frederik Thrane (Head of Circular Economy, Lifestyle and Design Cluster) and Sarah Lærke Stevns (CEO, Design Denmark) gave their perspectives on how their organisations could engage with design research.

The Social Design Unit takes active part in all activities of the DCDR – so keep informed! Or simply join the centre via: https://designresearch.dk

At the seminar Eva Brandt (Business Academy Copenhagen) and Sissel Olander (Royal Academy of Copenhagen) in collaboration with Social Design Unit (Eva Knutz and Thomas Markussen) shared anecdotes, dilemmas and insights into their work on social responsive design