Motivations Social Design
One Week About Social Design by Cindy van den Bremen
During my studies at the Design Academy, I passionately searched for a style of my own, especially, and in vain, in visual language and material. And then, while putting together my portfolio, it dawned upon me that the leitmotiv in my work is my social commitment. That’s from which all my projects emerge. As a designer, I want to of value to society.
In her book ‘Looks Good Feels Good’, Anne van der Zwaag says that working with sustainability as a starting point is the most important motivation for designers within social design. To me, this doesn’t quite cover the concept, it goes way beyond that. It’s about the impact that a designer can have in the world, both on a global and local level. In addition to environmental sustainability it is especially about social relevance, social and economic sustainability: can the idea maintain itself (financially), is it supported by the people involved, does it have a healthy future, even when the designer has left?
I’m therefore proud of the Suit It Yourself project, which I ran in the Afrikaanderwijk in Rotterdam-Zuid in 2008. The project developed into the Wijkatelier van Zuid, which in the meantime has become an independent foundation with a store. Operating from their own knowledge and expertise, women produce clothing and accessories locally and on a small-scale, among which productions for fashion designers. The icing on the cake was the event when the women were asked to do the embroidery on a gold corset by Jean-Paul Gaultier!