swiss design association

Als Mitglied im Vorstand des Bureau of European Associations BEDA sowie mit Mark Illi als mit Mitinitiator und co-Autor der Submission für den Call freuen wir uns über den soeben erschienenen «Design Policy Mapping in Europe Report»:

The report reveals a significant shift: design is no longer confined to dedicated policies but is increasingly embedded across broader policy domains—from cultural and creative industries to sustainability, innovation, and public services. This evolution is captured through the newly developed Design Policy Spectrum, a tool that evaluates the degree of integration of design into national policymaking.

Regina Hanke, Project Lead MADres, points out those key findings that support the need for a revised approach to design policy:

• Only two dedicated design policies remain in Europe – Latvia and Iceland.
• Design is more present than ever, integrated across multiple policy domains.
• From explicit to embedded – design has shifted from stand-alone strategies to cross-cutting policy roles.
• Different policy families, distinct roles – design acts as a creative industry, an innovation method, a sustainability lever and a tool for user-centred public services.
• Dedicated policies can provide coherence, if they are firmly integrated in the governmental arena – where they exist, they can have the potential to connect agendas and strengthen visibility; where they don’t, the design’s role might be more fragmented and harder to sustain.