Good Neighbours
Dutch Design Awards (DDA) has been leading in the interpretation of excellent Dutch design for years. The aim of the organisation goes beyond simply rewarding the best design: DDA wants Dutch design to be part of a larger conversation.
DDA nomination Design Research
Good Neighbours researches how surveillance technology such as WhatsApp neighbourhood watch groups and doorbell cameras lead to connectedness and alienation in neighbourhoods. Good Neighbours, initiated by Klasien van de Zandschulp and Natalie Dixon, brings two worlds together: the practice of art and cultural studies. Through an immersive performance in a neighbourhood, actors confront visitors with ethical choices. The results become part of a larger research programme, involving urban planners, knowledge institutes and students studying design for social impact. Good Neighbours has already taken place in York and Amsterdam, and will soon also come to Utrecht.
Expert panel
Good Neighbours raises urgent questions about community building in a time of heightened fear and paranoia towards strangers. A very relevant project, perfectly timed and with a poignant focus. The research exposes how mobile technology and social networking can harden the way we judge and interact with other people. A strong point is that Good Neighbours not only makes people aware of the negative effects, but also demonstrates how to behave differently. The customised approach has a local focus, can easily be rolled out worldwide, and stimulates curiosity about the effects at policy and system level.
For more information about the nominees and the DDA Awards Show you can visit www.dutchdesignawards.nl.
Photos: Esme Mai, Kgabo Mametje & Koos Groenewald, Anita Bharos, Antal Guszlev