Can Design Inform Effective Social Innovation?

Abstract

In this paper, I outline key principles for how I envisage design providing creative input to social innovation programs, where its effectiveness depends both on how design is understood and actioned, and how the program is organized and managed. Key clients, funders and decision makers for such programs – the true power brokers – will likely base their thinking on management and organization concepts. As such, I first consider how the terms ‘design’ and ‘social innovation’ are broadly understood and interpreted in these business domains. Then, I address multifaceted interpretations of ‘design’ across other fields. However, my key concern is for the end user of the social innovation program. Seeking a focus on true social innovation, where value is created for these users, I discuss one interpretation of design, through what I term a mindset of ‘designerly thinking’, and a process defined as ‘collaborative realisation’ as the model for its implementation.