The future sees fewer hands to care for the increasing number of elderly. The school systems fail, hospitals are down with billions in deficit and the welfare model in general is under pressure. In 2050, there will be 9.2 billion people on Earth and the temperature is, perhaps, 46 degrees Celcius in Denmark. Just mention some of the future problems. The situation needs action now.

The exhibition, CHALLENGE SOCIETY, shows how design meets such challenges. This is not a question of inventing new accessories for the world, but of inventing new ways to design the world. We need to design systems and services to match the complex demands of the future public and private sectors, both individuals and companies.

As one of the cases show, the holistic approach of the design thinking method revolutionised everyday life for both inmates and staff in a section of the Nyborg State Prison. Violence and threats against the staff had become the normal, negative work atmosphere resulting in a sky-high number of days off. The design agency hired applied all the strategies of the design thinking method to solve the problems, arranging playacts where the inmates acted staff and vice versa as well as asking the inmates to make illustrative collages reflecting the life in prison. The designers interviewed all parties involved and found that the solutions were simple; improved physical surroundings and joint activities such as sports and cooking, were initiated. Violence and threats disappeared making the prison atmosphere much more positive. As a result, the prison can make huge savings on the public system due to less days off.

’The inspiration for the exhibition is that the world is facing challenges of proportions never seen before. It is a situation that requires a new mindset in all groups of the society. CHALLENGE SOCIETY shows how design strategies create solutions that will provide the world with a sustainable future, says Merete Brunander, Acting CEO in the Danish Design Centre.

Using film, texts and photos the exhibition showcases the many examples of how design strategies as the simple solution to complex challenges help give new life to our ailing welfare state, while also creating improved solutions for the users and adding economic value to the industry. The exhibition sparks the debate on how to solve future challenges and shows us how leading design thinkers look at problems such as overpopulation, waste, lack of energy resources and climate changes.

The exhibition is open from April 13, 2011 until February 19, 2012

For further information, please contact:
Sanne Lund Hansen, slh@ddc.dk, telephone +45 3369 3330