Design consulting on Societal Challenges

How do we solve societal problems in the world of today? As a civil servant, or a governmental body, or an entrepreneur or a knowledge institute, or an expert or an independent thinker for that matter? Today’s problems cannot just be solved inside Ministries nor in innovation funnels in corperations. Increasingly public and private parties seek to work together, across different disciplines to get to grips with the complexity of themes such as energy, climate and care. My role as a strategic advisor is to help design and develop these interpersonal ecosystems. By focusing on doing instead of talking. By using design as an instrument to for creative critical analysis and the generation of new perspectives. By combining the forces of industry, legislation, design within an environment based on trust and the willingness to help. 

With the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management we’re currently working on a maker-space for societal challenges, an in-between-space, a Third Place. Below is the conversation that sparked the idea. A talk about our long term future as a society between Nadia Moussaid, Christian Bason, Paul van Nunen and Floris Alkemade at the Dutch Design Week. 

Marijn served as strategic advisor to the Association of Dutch Municipalities, the VNG and is currently working together with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. He is also an ambassador to the Dutch Design Week which works on societal challenges through the World Design Embassies.