Led by the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME), the Change Agents consortium includes ELISAVA in Barcelona, the Estonian Academy of Arts, Berlin University of the Arts, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and Shenkar College in Israel. This multinational effort resulted in Change Agents — Blueprints for Interinstitutional Collaborations, an open-access publication to support social design education and practice, and in turn drive meaningful societal impact, freely available to educators, students, and NGOs alike.    

The guide was unveiled on 21 November 2023 at a one-day conference hosted by ELISAVA in Barcelona, where professionals from universities and civil society organisations gathered to explore innovative models for addressing societal challenges through community engagement and social design.  

This conference marked the conclusion of the Erasmus+ Change Agents project launched in early 2023 connecting five universities and two NGOs to develop new methods and strategies for bridging the gap between the academic and non-governmental sectors. The collaboration was grounded in the Social Design Network, founded in 2020 by the Social Design Hub at MOME’s Innovation Center and a professor from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design, and Art in Israel to strengthen the knowledge base of social design. With contributions from renowned researchers, teachers and practitioners, it supports the advancement of relevant education and research across the globe. 

The Change Agents project brings together individuals with fieldwork experience and direct ties to the communities that will ultimately benefit from the outcomes of the design process. This link has largely been missing from the offerings of higher education institutions, making this initiative particularly significant.  

As researcher at ELISAVA in Barcelona Guim Espelt Estopà pointed out, “The inclusion of social design projects in HEI design curricula is key to fostering new generations of designers that are more aware of the social context in which their practice is developed.” 

The Erasmus+ Change Agents project has delivered Change Agents — Blueprints for Interinstitutional Collaborations offering methodological recommendations and practical guidance for professionals, educators, students, and civil society organisations engaged in social design engaged in social design, as well as public administration and industry stakeholders collaborating with NGOs. It offers practical methods, strategies, and best practices to help NGOs and higher education institutions forge more effective and meaningful partnerships.   

The blueprint also outlines how design can effectively address the true needs of communities through projects focused on issues such as urban development, healthcare, deep poverty, education, and gender equality, while identifying the conditions necessary for positive change, the criteria for success, and whether participants have been genuinely engaged in the process. These insights are particularly crucial for any local initiative, as they ultimately aim to improve people’s quality of life.  

As Professor at Berlin University of the ArtsBianca Herlo noted, “Social design inherently emphasises fairness and justice. It is aimed at reducing disparities in education as well as in design processes, and the creation of inclusive educational policies.” 

Professor of philosophy at Shenkar College Jonathan Ventura added, “Social design is incredibly important to me, as I think this is the main area of influence of change designers and educators can have on society. Working with NGOs is a crucial effort in social design. Since these ventures are so complicated, I believe this blueprint will help make these collaborations easier to manage and thus, more frequent.” 

Primarily intended for those ‘change agents’ who are committed to driving social transformation, this publication aims to enhance the quality of institutional and community-based design projects and introduce innovative educational approaches.  It draws on a review of academic literature, methodological recommendations, and case studies, and serves as a practical guide for collaboration, addressing ethical considerations and offering specific recommendations for planning community-led design projects. 

“In a way, every educator is a change agent”, said senior research fellow at MOME and project lead Bori Fehér, DLA, adding, “During times of change, it is vital to create space for sharing experiences and encouraging reflection. This is essential for cultivating smooth collaboration between organisations and advancing towards common goals.”   

Discussing how different target groups are expected to adopt the blueprint, professor at ELISAVA Ariel Guersenzvaig remarked, “From early feedback, it looks like the project will be widely adopted. Students and educators like its hands-on approach, and NGOs appreciate the focus on solving practical problems. Policymakers and businesses seem on board thanks to the clear, actionable framework it offers.” 

According to junior researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts Eva Liisa Kubinyi, “This project aims to enhance collaboration between NGOs and academia by promoting collective reflective practices. By granting NGOs an equal role in interinstitutional partnerships, the project fosters an environment of dialogue and transparency among various stakeholders. Practical recommendations and proposed workshop series will assist researchers in creating safe spaces for these important discussions.” 

Lecturer and researcher at the Free University of Bolzano Teresa Palmieri said “The blueprints for inter-institutional collaboration will empower NGOs and higher education institutions to develop frameworks that ensure mutual benefits for both students and communities. These frameworks will facilitate ongoing collaboration, supporting the monitoring of community-based projects and the evaluation of their impacts – two critical elements for the success of social design initiatives in education.” 

☞ More information and the publication are available here: 

https://socialdesignnetwork.org/project/erasmus-change-agents/